Lewis Hamilton believes that it is not his success on the track in Formula 1 but his anti-racism promotion and social activism that has given his life real purpose.
Hamilton became the first - and remains the only - black driver in Formula 1 history when he was signed by McLaren in 2007, and he became world champion a year later. After making the switch to Mercedes in 2013 for the turbo-hybrid era, the Brit has taken more pole positions and won more races than any other driver.
He has also drawn level with German legend Michael Schumacher on seven world championships - the most in the sport’s history.
Hamilton is currently clashing with Red Bull star Max Verstappen for an unprecedented eighth title, and he is trailing the Dutchman with five races to go in what has been one of the great title battles in modern F1 history.
While eclipsing Schumacher is a clear goal, Hamilton is more proud of his work off the track in promoting anti-racism and pushing for diversity within the sport. He famously wore a t-shirt that read ‘arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor’ at the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix.
The 36-year-old does not believe enough is done within motorsport to promote diversity or inspiring young people from underrepresented groups.
“This year I've not been drawing on past experiences, I've been drawing on feeding off this energy of doing this positive work,” Hamilton told Sky Sports. “I noticed that last year and it was a part of that last year. Getting on the podium so I can give Breonna that voice, it was a super drive for me.
“So now it's the work that I'm doing in the background and then I'm turning up and I'm enjoying this job.
“Is it helping me race? I think so, yeah. It's like my new drive and I feel like it's giving me more longevity because it's a lot of work we have to do. I feel like it also gives my life real purpose. Racing is not a purpose, it's something you do.”
Hamilton founded Mission 44 - a nod to his number - this summer, a foundation to back children from underrepresented groups and kicked it off with a personal donation of £20million to help inspire careers not just in F1 but in science, technology, engineering and maths.
He revealed he finds it difficult to train for F1 - but his work outside the sport motivates him to continue inspiring and working for others.
“There's definitely been times where I'm like, I don't know if I can keep going, or maybe there's something else I want to do. But I don't think I'd found my purpose until last year,” Hamilton continued.
“Now I feel like I have a mission in life and it's not about just winning championships and races, that's all cool, but actually being able to make an impact to help youngsters coming through.”
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Since Hamilton arrived in the sport, 56 drivers have made their debut - with none of them being black.
The Brit partnered with the Royal Academy of Engineering to release a report in July delving into the sport’s diversity - and less than one per cent of people working in Formula 1 are black.
Hamilton recently surprised primary school pupils who have expressed an interest in a career in Formula 1 on a visit to Mercedes HQ in Brackley, Northamptonshire. After suggesting that only Hamilton could touch the car while wearing a disguise, he picked up the wheel before tearing off his prosthetic face to reveal himself to the delight of the onlooking children.
He told them: “Education, I know, is key for every child. There are a lot of youngsters who don’t realise that being an engineer, for example, is an avenue that they can go down.”
Formula 1 returns to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez for the Mexican Grand Prix on November 7, with Red Bull star Verstappen holding a slender 12-point lead over Mercedes’ Hamilton.
