Lewis Hamilton reveals one team refuses to sign F1 diversity charter

The Mercedes star said that one F1 team is ‘not willing to engage’ on the prospect of a diversity inclusion charter

Lewis Hamilton has revealed that one F1 team is refusing to sign the diversity charter that he has been pushing for nearly two years.

The Mercedes star, who set up the Hamilton Commission last year to improve the representation of black people in UK motorsport, proposed the charter to provoke change towards equality in the sport.

Yet the seven-time world champion admitted that one of the 10 F1 teams is “not willing to engage” on the prospect of a diversity inclusion charter.

“F1 needs to do more,” Hamilton said, ahead of this weekend’s French Grand Prix. “All the teams need to do more. I think we are very close to getting this diversity inclusion charter going and I think there’s one team, still the same team, is not willing to engage.

“But I’m grateful to see that the other teams are willing to step forward and do the work.”

Asked further if he would name the team in question, the 37-year-old replied: “I don’t think it would be appropriate to name the team. We’ve gone back and forth with them and for some reason they don’t want to, but all the other nine teams have, which is really encouraging.”

Hamilton, prior to the British Grand Prix three weeks ago, insisted he could “not do it alone” in F1’s fight against discrimination after three-time world champion Nelson Piquet was widely condemned for using racial language to describe the Mercedes driver in an interview.

Hamilton - who has been on the receiving end racial abuse throughout his career - said “enough is enough” and has called for F1 and companies around the world to act.

“Discrimination is something we shouldn’t be promoting,” he added. “”It’s not good enough for lip service, we need to push for action… I’m trying to raise money to push this also. We need more and I can’t do it alone.”