'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Lewis Hamilton's career has long been a symbol of change in Formula 1. White drivers have historically dominated the sport, and it wasn't always easy being the only face of representation in the paddock.
Long before his seven world titles, the designer collaborations, or billionaire athlete lists, Hamilton was just a kid from Stevenage. He had a borrowed kart and a father doing everything possible to fund his racing. 30 years later, Hamilton remains the only Black driver to have raced in F1's 75-year history.
In a July 2017 interview with Serena Williams for Interview Magazine, Hamilton opened up about the impact of icons like Tiger Woods. When Serena asked him:
Trending
"Lewis, have you broken color barriers in racing?"
Hamilton said:
"Definitely, yes. My dad and I admired watching Tiger do that in golf, and you and your sister (Venus) do that in tennis. We're very proud that we've done that in motor racing... When I was karting, there was no one who looked even a little like me, who could help me see that this was something I could do. Now there are kids who see me. I’m very proud to be a part of that."
In the late 1990s, Tiger Woods' rise in golf was a cultural shock. Much like Tiger, Hamilton's path was marked by him facing skepticism, criticism, and outright hostility from some. Yet, both men reshaped expectations by simply being the best at what they did.
Lewis Hamilton arrived in F1 in 2007, nearly taking the title as a rookie. He finished a point behind Kimi Raikkonen after winning four races. He claimed his first championship in 2008 and became the youngest F1 champion at the time.
Woods did it similarly. In his second year, he won the 1997 Masters and became world number one within a year. They didn’t just break records; they built bridges.
Lewis Hamilton joins forces with Tiger Woods' TMRW project
Years after Lewis Hamilton first drew inspiration from Tiger Woods, the two pioneers are now tied by more than legacy. The seven-time F1 champion is among the select few who've invested in TMRW Sports, the technology-forward sports venture founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
The initiative aims to change how sports are consumed and experienced, with its flagship project - TGL - set to reimagine golf through immersive technology. For Hamilton, whose business portfolio already includes a stake in the Denver Broncos and sustainable fashion lines, the move into sports entrepreneurship with Woods reflects a deeper motivation. He said in 2022 (via Reuters):
"I do want to get more and more involved in teams because I really do believe in Black ownership, because there is a lack of it within sports, and Black equity. There is a real lack of that."
And in joining TMRW, he's backing that belief with capital and visibility. In a previous interview with International Business Times in February 2020, Hamilton drew a poignant comparison to his childhood and the 1993 cult classic Cool Runnings:
"I relate a lot of my life to that movie because they arrive at the top of a hill with a rust bucket and everyone goes quiet… When we got to races I remember people looking at us like, 'What are they doing here?' Because it was a white-dominated sport."
It's that lived experience that drives Hamilton's off-track ventures. The TMRW project is part of a mission to reshape gatekeeping in sports.
Hamilton is joined in TMRW's investment group by fellow Formula 1 drivers Lando Norris, Alex Albon, Carlos Sainz, and Mark Webber, alongside sports icons like Stephen Curry, Venus Williams, Josh Allen, Trea Turner, Alex Morgan, Sidney Crosby, and gaming legend Ninja.
For Lewis Hamilton, that support is coming full circle - from watching Tiger on TV to now building the future of sports with him.
