Lewis Hamilton has been scarred for life by racist abuse he suffered as a child, his Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has claimed.
Hamilton, 34, could celebrate a remarkable sixth world championship in the breathless Mexico City air on Sunday, taking him to within one of Michael Schumacher’s all-time tally.
And yet the Mercedes driver continues to divide opinion in his homeland.
He remains stuck on an MBE while the other outstanding British sportsmen of his generation, Andy Murray and Mo Farah, have received knighthoods.
Hamilton broke down racial barriers as a junior karter en route to the summit of Formula One, but he remains the sport’s only black driver.
He has called for greater diversity, and in 2011, he controversially said he was being penalised by stewards “because I am black, that’s what Ali G says”, in reference to the satirical fictional television character.
“When Lewis was younger he was the only black kid among the white kids, and I know he was racially abused on the track,” Wolff told the PA news agency.
“If that happens to an eight-year-old, or a 10-year-old, it just leaves scars that will not go away.
“If, as a child, you have had to overcome abuse and discrimination, on one side it makes you a stronger personality. But on the other side it also leaves scars.
“Today, Lewis has a good and mature perspective, but the scars are certainly there. That is not the only motivating factor for him – those scars are a witness of having survived……..read more
Source: Mirror
