F1 News
Lewis Hamilton wants F1 to be as easy to get into as "football or tennis"
Lewis Hamilton knows that getting into Formula 1 is hard. His family worked tirelessly and relied on his pure talent to break through into the sport. However, this isn't the route in for every driver. Some are able to pay their way into the sport which means that sometimes drivers with real talent are left out. Hamilton wants this to change.
"My father spent something like twenty thousand pounds and took out several mortgages on the house in the first few years," Hamilton said on the Graham Norton Show. “But today it has become so incredibly expensive. There are few people from the working class who work their way up through the classes. Almost all of them are rich families.
“A friend of mine almost reached Formula 1, but was subsequently set aside by a rich kid. His chance was suddenly gone. I want to get involved with the FIA and Formula 1 because they can do more to give something back. It really doesn't have to be as expensive as it is now. I want to open it, as you see in football or tennis.
Hamilton's family sacrificed so much for him to be where he is now.
"There were times when I came home from school and said to my father, 'I'm ready.' To then be told that the money was not there this weekend but hopefully next week. So he is the real hero, I am alone in the spotlight."
Hamilton will hope to encourage people to get into F1 and try and make the route into the sport easier for everyone.