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 Asked at a U.S. Grand Prix news conference how the sport could
create "more enthusiasm in urban black America for Formula One", and
among urban kids in general, Hamilton listened to rivals before
offering an opinion.
"Maybe Formula One can start to engage more with the NFL or with the
other sports," said the only black driver on the starting grid.
"I don’t know if I’ve ever seen an NBA player come (to a race). I’ve
had a friend come once. Otherwise it’s never really been anyone from
those sports, different kind of sports."
Hamilton, who could claim his third championship and second in a row
for Mercedes in Sunday's race, recognized it was difficult for many
Americans to relate to his sport.
Coming from an under-privileged background himself, the grandson of
emigrants from the West Indies whose family had little money and no
prior involvement in motorsport, Hamilton knows about reaching new
audiences.
But he also recognizes the difficulties.
"Obviously they’re crazy about NFL and NBA and they are sports that
you can just go and buy the equipment, buy a ball or a racket and go
play down the road or in the street, whereas karting, you can’t,"
said the Briton.
"I was very lucky, my Dad bought me a go-kart and we drove it around
a car park, like a DIY Homestore car park for a while, but there’s
not that much accessibility for kids who say 'Hey, I want to go
go-karting'."
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Hamilton is a regular visitor to the United States and, with friends
in the music industry and Hollywood, has a high profile on celebrity
websites and social media as he mixes with the likes of singer
Rihanna and the Kardashian family.
"As you can see I’m doing as much as I can but I’m only one person,"
said the 30-year-old who spent time at a fashion show in New York
before flying to Austin.
"Yesterday I was go-karting with some kids, there were two black
kids with us. One passed me, the first time I’d ever been on a track
with a black kid and, coming past it was like seeing myself come by.
It was kind of funny. It was good."
(Editing by Tony Jimenez)
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