One can be champions both inside and outside the circuit. Lewis Hamilton, with his seven world titles, has repeatedly shown that he is one in both contexts: while things at Ferrari may not be going as fans hoped, behind the scenes the English champion continues to achieve important milestones. And Mission 44, his foundation created to support disadvantaged communities, is starting to have a significant impact in the motorsport world.
“Talent is everywhere, but the opportunity to demonstrate it is not, and we are here to change that,” Lewis explained regarding the organization established five years ago. “I have been working in Formula 1 for twenty years. And I know firsthand how important it is to have adequate representation in our sport. And how difficult it is for young people to get that opportunity.” Especially if they come from difficult backgrounds, from ethnic or cultural backgrounds different from the majority. Hamilton himself is in this sense an outlier: of Caribbean descent on his father’s side, a victim of racism and bullying during childhood precisely because of his belonging to a minority.
Then there are the symbolic barriers of Formula 1 itself, always an elitist sport starting from the selection of drivers. Even today, Hamilton remains the first and only black driver to have raced and won in the circuit: in statistical terms, a discouraging fact, as we are in 2026. For this reason, he has been working for years to understand the causes of this dynamic, trying to redirect it towards new opportunities for the protagonists of the future: the aim of Mission 44 is to create support platforms, starting from school-age children below the poverty line and raised in socially disadvantaged contexts. Without role models, without points of reference, without the technical or mathematical knowledge that are essential for embarking on a career in motorsport.
Hamilton has invested time and money – over 20 million pounds – focusing on inclusive education networks and well-structured scouting mechanisms. In a short time, Mission 44 has managed to involve more than half a million young people around the world, helping them in their growth journey beyond the dream in the drawer – which can be a pole position driving the red car, but not only that. To have a greater direct impact on the world of Formula 1, since 2022 Mission 44 has also launched a scholarship in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Engineering in the UK, to cover the costs of university tuition for black students or those from other ethnic minorities enrolled in the motorsport engineering master’s program. This year, the total funding amounts to $43,000 per person: figures and projects capable of changing the lives and careers of many young people.
“The impact of Lewis has been a wake-up call for the entire system, creating collective awareness of the existence of this problem,” say the beneficiary students today. “By putting his name on the line for these initiatives, Hamilton’s reputation has been further strengthened, creating additional impulses to think big.” And he himself reiterates that this is just the beginning. “Seeing the results of this initiative offers further motivation and inspiration: some of our kids are already starting their paths in Formula 1. Their eagerness reminds us every day why this work matters. The future of our sport depends on who opens the doors in the present.” Breaking down the barriers that once, as a kid, the champion of tomorrow had to face. Not a small legacy.