Extreme E, the electric off-road series, has worked with Lewis Hamilton to launch a diversity initiative aimed at creating a more diverse workforce in motorsport named “Racing For All”; the scheme is focused on removing barriers to motorsport and creating “genuine opportunities”
Last Updated: 05/09/22 5:06pm
Lewis Hamilton has helped to create an initiative with Extreme E to ensure every team is working towards a diverse motorsport workforce
Lewis Hamilton has partnered with Extreme E to create the Racing For All initiative, aiming to “address some of the barriers to a more diverse motorsport workforce”.
The initiative is aimed at adding a mechanic or engineer to each of Extreme E’s teams from an under-represented background and encouraging those to apply who may not usually have the opportunity to work in such an environment.
Informed by the findings from The Hamilton’s Commission Report, Accelerating Change: Improving Representation of Black People in UK Motorsport, the scheme will provide an “action-based programme that will have a tangible effect on addressing some of those barriers” that inhibit access to motorsport and help diversify those work in the electric off-road series.
Upon the announcement of the initiative, Hamilton said: “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 programme will be creating genuine opportunities for the next generation.
“When I first discussed the idea of creating a programme with Alejandro and the Extreme E team, we all agreed that it had to be something which led to real change, and I believe Racing for All does just that. I’m so excited to see this program adopted across the paddock, and I can’t wait to see what the first group of Racing for All candidates goes on to achieve.”
Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E said: “We are delighted to launch the Racing for All initiative.
“We are fully supportive of the findings of The Hamilton Commission and are working with our teams to provide a clear path for the brilliant engineers and mechanics of the future, who may not so readily have the opportunities to succeed.
“Our goal is for Racing for All 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.”
Hamilton is Team owner of Extreme E Team X44 which is one of the 10 teams in the electric off-road series.
