Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton faced bullying and racism when he was just six years old and says he had bananas thrown at him at school.
Seven-time world champion, F1’s only black driver said his days at school were most traumatic. “For me, school was probably the most traumatic and difficult time of my life,” Lewis Hamilton said in an interview with the podcast. On Purpose, which aired on Monday. “I was already being bullied when I was six years old…I think at that time at that school I was one of only three kids of color, and other kids who were bigger, stronger and intimidating often jostled me. »
Born and raised in Stevenage, England, Lewis Hamilton said racial harassment continued through his schooling, along with his feelings of isolation and confusion. “And then some jabs constant, the things thrown at you, like bananas, with people using the n-word as if nothing had happened. People call you half-breed and you don’t really know where you belong. It was difficult for me. »
The commercial pilot mentioned that even members of the authority picked on him. “There were only 6 or 7 black kids out of the 1,200 in the school, and 3 of us were always put outside the principal’s office,” he said.
He said he tried to hide his pain and put on a brave face when he came home from school.
“There were a lot of things I was hiding. I didn’t feel like I could come home and tell my parents that other people kept calling me the n-word, that I was being bullied, beaten up at school, or that I was unable to defend myself. I didn’t want my dad to think I was weak, so I held back my tears if I had any and lived my emotions in a quiet place. It wasn’t until I started racing that I was able to channel those emotions into my driving. »
In recent years, Hamilton has made a name for himself off the track, working hard to tackle racism and urging others in F1 to speak out more.