Lewis Hamilton calls for ‘decolonisation' of Africa in rare speech

British race car driver Lewis Hamilton has called for the “decolonisation” of African countries from the former colonial powers such as France, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Hamilton called on the people of Africa to take the continent back in a rare speech emphasising his African roots.

There has been no F1 event in Africa since the 1993 South African Grand Prix.

When asked about the return of the sport to the continent, the seven-time F1 world champion said that he was fighting for nearly a decade to take the sport back to Africa, adding, “I will not retire until it does.”

The Scuderia Ferrari driver also spoke about his hopes for African leaders to further efforts to decolonise the continent.

The 41-year-old also described his African roots, saying, “I am half African. I have got roots from a few different places there. Benin, Senegal, Nigeria.”

He said that Africa is the most beautiful part of the world, adding, “It’s sad that no one talks about how the rest of the world owns so much of it and takes so much from it.”

He called on African people to take the continent back “from the French, from Spain, from the Portuguese and the British."

Talking about his visit to Senegal during the mid-season break in 2024, Hamilton said: “It was so important to learn our history and to honour the people we come from and live for them.”