Hamilton grew up on an estate in Stevenage. His father held several jobs to fund his early karting career that paved the way for his success in F1.
The seven-time F1 world champion said in an interview with Spanish publication AS that F1 “has become a billionaire boys’ club” and added: “If I were to start over from a working-class family, it would be impossible for me.” Be here today because the other guys have a lot more money.
“We need to work to change that and make this an accessible sport for the rich and for those of more humble origins.”
Also read:
Three drivers on the F1 grid – Lance Stroll, Nicholas Latifi and Nikita Mazepin – are the sons of billionaires, while the majority of active racing drivers need manufacturer or sponsor support to get to the top because of the cost involved.
Mercedes F1 boss Wolff said while each driver has their own story, he agrees with Hamilton that more needs to be done to cut costs in the grassroots race.
“What makes sport so attractive is that it provides a narrative for good soap [opera] also outside of the race, “said Wolff.
“Drivers always come from different backgrounds and I think there isn’t always, everyone has their story and things to deal with.
“I doubt that privileged children have it easy all the time. They fight their own demons.
“I think we can ensure that grassroots races become more affordable so that children who have no financial background can actually do well in the junior formulas.
“All the big Formula 1 teams [need to be] being able to identify these kids instead of making it so expensive that a good go-kart season costs 250,000, an F4 season 500,000, and an F3 season 1 million.
“That is totally absurd [and] has to stop because we want access. I think we need to give kids who are interested in go-karting the opportunity to compete for much cheaper budgets. “
The post Toto Wolff says the cost of junior racing is “absurd” first appeared on monter-une-startup.
