“The one thing that connects the boy who was told he had no potential in 1996, with me today, is opportunity.” ~ Lewis Hamilton
I’m a Formula 1 nut. OK, let me revise that: I’m a Lewis Hamilton nut.
Lewis Hamilton represents a first in more ways than one. First in the Formula 1 world championship record books, and the most winning driver in the rich history of the sport, often first past the line with one-hundred wins and counting, as well as a slew of F1 records to his name. Yet these ‘firsts’ are just a small part of this picture. For Lewis Hamilton is the first—and to this point only—Black driver in F1’s 72-year history.
“While there are no Black drivers, there also remain few Black people in Formula 1 and the wider industry. There are seven F1 teams in the UK, and over 4,000 companies — from drivers to engineers, managers to accountants. There are suppliers and sponsors who hire thousands of people a year.”
The Brief
This DPS brief is about inclusion, and the means by which inclusion could be designed into a range of creative outcomes, centred around three key pillars.
The student challenge was to make that world visible: highlighting the potential career pathways in Formula 1, speaking to new audiences, thus creating new spaces and myriad ways for the next generation of designers / engineers / content and merchandise creators / visual artists / storytellers to see themselves in a habitually exclusive space.
— Support and Empowerment
— Accountability and Measurement
— Inspiration and Engagement
Empowerment: Work with youth-led organisations to support initiatives that help to make the voices of underrepresented young people heard, as well as influence decision-making and take action on social causes they are passionate about.
Progression: Through partnerships and joint initiatives, we support the development of better pathways for underrepresented young people across all aspects of society. Providing them opportunities to achieve and thrive, with a focus on those most at risk of being left behind.
Representation: Through evidence-based research, we shine a spotlight on the experiences of underrepresented young people and, through targeted programmes, support their access to and progress in spaces, such as education and careers, that traditionally have poor levels of diversity.
“He’s a square peg trying to fit in a round hole. When he gives up and says he doesn’t care about fitting in that hole anymore, that winds people up.” ~ Bradley Lord, Mercedes communications director
Square pegs. Round holes. New spaces. New holes. The kind of ‘inclusion’ I’m here for, and that I challenge my students to design.