Mercedes starting "a long journey" with Hamilton to knock down diversity barriers

Mercedes has outlined its continued commitment alongside seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton to breaking down the diversity barriers that exist in motorsport.

The message follows the overnight release of the Hamilton Commission report aimed at improving the representation of Black people in motorsport.

The report, a project led by the Royal Academy of Engineering, startlingly found "only 1 per cent of employees in Formula 1 are from Black backgrounds".

While Mercedes has so far taken its own steps to improve on that figure, the report has highlighted the fact considerably more needs to be done across the board.

In response to the release of the report, a Mercedes statement read: “We warmly welcome today’s publication of the Hamilton Commission report.

"It is an important piece of research that shines a light on many of the barriers that have contributed to the under-representation of people from minority ethnic backgrounds in British motorsport, and it enriches our understanding of those barriers and how they can be addressed.

"Together with Lewis, we have begun working to build a more diverse and inclusive sport for the future, starting with the Mercedes Formula One team.

"We are at the beginning of a long journey together to make this happen and we look forward to building on a number of the Commission’s recommendations in the years ahead.”

The Hamilton Commission recommendations

The recommendations in the report include:

● Asking that Formula 1 teams (and other motorsports organisations) take the lead in implementing a Diversity and Inclusion Charter for motorsport to commit the sector to improve diversity and inclusion across all organisations.

● Calling for Formula 1 teams and other motorsport businesses to broaden access to motorsport by expanding the apprenticeships provision to include higher apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships as an alternate pathway into the sector, as well as availability to paid work placement and work experience schemes.

● Establishment of a new exclusions innovation fund, to develop programmes that address the factors that contribute to the high proportion of students from Black backgrounds being excluded from schools.

● Supporting the piloting of new approaches to increase the number of Black teachers in STEM subjects that lead to careers in engineering, namely mathematics, physics, design and technology, and computing. ● Supporting the creation of scholarship programmes to enable Black graduates from degrees in engineering and allied subjects to progress into specialist motorsport roles.

● Calling for additional STEM activity support to be provided to supplementary schools led by Black community groups across the UK.

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