Lewis Hamilton's Mission 44 foundation is making significant strides in addressing the lack of representation of black people and those from disadvantaged backgrounds in motorsport. The seven-time world champion describes setting up the foundation as one of his proudest achievements, noting that talent is everywhere but opportunity is not.
Established in 2021 after the Hamilton commission investigated the causes of underrepresentation, Mission 44 has invested £20m in grassroots initiatives. It has already engaged 550,000 young people globally, with 50,000 specifically in Stem and motorsport areas, and awarded more than £9m in grants.
A key initiative is the scholarship programme launched in 2022 with the Royal Academy of Engineering, funding master's degrees in motorsport engineering for students from black or mixed black backgrounds. This year, each scholar receives up to £43,000, plus mentoring and career support. Of the 13 students in the first two cohorts, all completed their master's and eight now work in F1 or motorsport.
Lily Owuye, 23, is a performance and simulation engineer at Red Bull Advanced Technologies after being part of the second cohort. She says the scholarship made her master's financially possible. Chris Tagnon, also from the same cohort, now works as engineering associate to the managing director of Aston Martin performance technologies. He credits Hamilton as a lifelong role model who inspired him to enter the sport.
