Naomi Schiff explains why Lewis Hamilton became her 'identifiable role model'

Sky Sports F1 presenter Naomi Schiff has recently revealed that Lewis Hamilton is the athlete who has inspired her the most in her career. In a sport that has historically lacked diversity, her comments show how Hamilton’s success and presence impacted young racers from minority backgrounds.

Schiff, a former racer and stunt driver, spoke about Hamilton’s influence on her in the Moments That Make Us series by Sky Sports F1,

"So the athlete that inspired me the most in my journey would have to be Lewis Hamilton. I think it's a no-brainer anyway that in a sport like ours, there are very few people of color and definitely very few people who are black. And so Lewis very quickly became the identifiable role model for me in my career. And I was lucky that I had him to look up to but also that he was incredibly good at what he does and incredibly successful. So, two in one." (2:04 onwards)

Lewis Hamilton has long served as a role model for young athletes who hail from diverse backgrounds. His rise from a humble background in Stevenage to becoming a seven-time world champion marked one of the most inspiring stories in sports.

Now driving for Ferrari, the 40-year-old continues to advocate for inclusion and diversity within the sport, on and off the track. Schiff also reflected on how crucial representation can be for young people who aspire to follow similar paths:

"I think it's very important. I don't think it's everything and I don't think it should be everything... But when you see someone who looks like you doing something you want to do, it’s one of those things — people say it so many times, like if you can see it, you think you can be it... The more identifiable role models we can create for young people, the better. But if that doesn’t exist, that doesn’t mean you can’t do it."

Her message reinforced the idea that while talent and opportunity matter, visibility also plays a powerful role in building confidence. For Schiff, Lewis Hamilton’s story from karting under financial strain to global superstardom embodied that message.

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When Lewis Hamilton defended Naomi Schiff: “This has been a male-dominated sport”

Lewis Hamilton after the 2024 Round 1 Jeddah race 2 of the F1 Academy. Source: Getty

Lewis Hamilton publicly defended Naomi Schiff in 2022, when she faced unfair criticism. The Sky Sports F1 analyst, who last raced competitively in the W Series in 2019, has a background in GT racing and touring cars.

Yet in 2022, after joining Sky Sports’ coverage, she became the target of online abuse questioning her credentials. Hamilton stepped in at the time with a strong statement on X (then Twitter):

“Naomi is an ex-professional racing driver and totally qualified to give her opinion as part of the Sky team. She’s been a great asset since joining, and we should welcome more representative broadcasting with open arms. Still have a long way to go to change these attitudes in sport.”

Later, Hamilton explained why he felt compelled to speak up.

“I felt compelled to say something. This has been a male-dominated sport for a long, long time. There is so much work that we need to do to improve the representation and opportunities for women at all levels within the teams and within the sport,” he told Motorsport.com in 2022

The seven-time world champion added that while progress has been made, there’s still much to do:

“It has progressed a lot, and I can only reflect on my own team, for example — when I go back to the factory, there’s a huge increase of women coming in, more so on the marketing side and HR for example.”

The movement for better representation has led to initiatives like F1 Academy, which was launched in 2023 as a feeder series for young women. Led by Managing Director Susie Wolff, it creates a level playing field running Formula 4-spec cars. Recent programs like the FIA Girls on Track also inspire more women to pursue roles in racing, engineering, and management.