Lewis Hamilton Partners with Extreme E on Diversity Initiative

September 9, 2022 

Seven-time Formula 1 world champion, Lewis Hamilton has teamed up with electric off-road series, Extreme E, to “address the barriers to a more diverse motorsport workforce.” The Racing For All initiative comes following the findings from the 2021 Hamilton Commission report on Black people in UK Motorsport, which showed the substantial barriers to opportunity and bias that exist throughout the motorsport pipeline. 

Extreme E seeks to accelerate cultural and behavioral change and inspire positive action. It considers itself to be the first sport built out of concern for the climate crisis and uses its platform to promote everyday solutions to help reverse the effects of climate change. This new initiative want to instil an “inclusive mindset and a wider recruitment pipeline which enables the next generation of race mechanics and engineers to reach the highest levels of motorsport, regardless of factors such as race, gender or social economic status, and reduce the barriers which exist for certain communities.” 

“We know from the findings of The Hamilton Commission that our industry is a tough place to break into, particularly for those from underrepresented backgrounds, which is why it’s so important that the Racing for All program will be creating genuine opportunities for the next generation,” said Hamilton, Team Owner of Extreme E Team X44. 

In July 2020, Sir Lewis Hamilton launched the Commission alongside the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) to research and understand why underrepresentation persists within the UK motorsport industry and look for ways to address this lack of representation. The final report found that only 1% of employees in F1 are from Black backgrounds and wider societal issues were affecting Black students’ opportunities within engineering, as well as specific barriers within the motorsports industry.

Racing for All plans to add a mechanic or engineer to each of Extreme E’s teams from an underrepresented background. The position is open to those with less than one year’s professional motorsport experience to enable them to learn exactly what it takes to be a part of a professional race team and provide a first step on the career ladder. 

Additionally, the program will work to encourage those who may not have the opportunity to work in the motorsport space to apply. Women, those from a minority ethnic or lower-socioeconomic background are being specifically encouraged. Extreme E is working with consultants from EqualEngineers to educate its teams on inclusive recruitment processes that ensures all applicants are welcome and considered.

“With all my years in motorsport, I've seen first-hand just how vital the push for equality in motorsport and engineering is, so it is encouraging to see Extreme E making this issue such a priority. Everyone, no matter what their gender, race or background, should be able to get involved, and Racing for All will be a huge step towards making this the norm,” said Jenson Button, 2009 Formula 1 world champion and Team Owner of Extreme E Team JBXE. 

The Commission has called on all in leadership roles across motorsport to take personal responsibility for driving measurable progress on diversity and inclusion and to provide equity of access and experience for all underrepresented groups as an enabler of organizational success.