Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes launch their charitable association
This Tuesday, the world champion team announced the creation of the Ignite association, which aims to make the world of motorsport more diverse and aims for inclusion.
This new association, created by Lewis Hamilton and his team, is the result of the work of the report unveiled by the Hamilton Commission. The latter will be financed by both parties and will work with « Mission 44 », the foundation of the seven-time world champion.
A few weeks after the F1 announced actions to integrate minorities, the reigning world champion team and its star driver will do the same thanks to Ignite.
« Mercedes has long supported my wish to make motorsport more diverse and inclusive. I am thrilled that, thanks to Ignite, we can officially work together to achieve this. A diverse team is not only more effective, it is also the morally correct approach for any industry, » Lewis Hamilton declared.
« The conclusions of the Hamilton Commission provided us with a fantastic basis to start our work, and I am convinced that Ignite will lead to real change in motorsport. For 15 years, I have been one of the few black members of Formula 1, and I am proud that my work with Mercedes can change that for the better.
The executive director of the star brand also specified that he was delighted to unveil the creation of Ignite. According to the Austrian, this project aims to make motorsport more open and to encourage black students to study STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
I am delighted that today we can finally talk about our plans for Ignite. Since we announced our intention to create a project with Lewis early this year, a lot of work and discussions have taken place behind the scenes to refine our goals and missions,” Toto Wolff added.
« Making motorsport more inclusive and becoming a more inclusive team are fundamental values, and with the full support of Mercedes-Benz, we are committed to having a positive impact on society and building a platform from which future generations can benefit. Ignite will complement our team’s Accelerate 25 program, and through these platforms, we hope to see many more talents from underrepresented groups join our team and pursue a career in motorsport in the broader sense.
Ignite will work on a number of projects, and will notably strive to encourage black students to pursue STEM subjects, while also providing financial support to talented and motivated students who wish to pursue a career in motorsport but do not have the means.
