WHETHER you are passionate about Formula One or find it the most boring spectacle on earth, it is hard to not appreciate Lewis Hamilton and everything he has done for the sport.

Not only as a British racer but for ethnic minorities.

You may not realise, as it isn’t widely reported these days, but when Hamilton took to grid for McLaren in 2007 he became the first black driver to race in Formula One.

It could be argued that Willy T Ribbs was the first, when he tested a car back in 1986, but Hamilton was certainly the first to compete.

I certainly don’t remember the media making a big deal out of it eight years ago.

What I remember from when Hamilton won his first title in 2008 it was more about him being the first British winner since Damon Hill in 1996 and not about him being the first ever black champion.

Hamilton himself said that he tried to ignore the fact that he made history in 2007 but later on began to appreciate it and admits he knocked down barriers.

It must have been hard for him. Especially when racing in Spain, a country where some fans have not hidden their distate for black athletes.

The year Hamilton won his first championship he was verbally heckled and abused during pre-season testing at the Circuit de Catalunya by several spectators, who wore black face paint and black wigs, as well as shirts reading: “Hamilton’s family.”

This forced the the FIA to launch a “Race Against Racism” campaign.

But the Brit stayed focused on his racing and went on to become one of the best drivers ever.

I know people who cannot stand watching 22 men, there are still no women, but fully support Hamilton due to his ethnicity. As young black men, they understand what Hamilton is doing in a world where he stands out due to the colour of his skin.

They want him to do well because it opens doors to young black drivers who aspire to compete in Formula One, something Hamilton has admitted — that young kids from ethnic minorities want to do this professionally because of him.
He said: “Cricket and football are the biggest sports in the Caribbean but I’ve noticed that F1 is increasing in popularity.”

That is down to him and it cannot be ignored.

A lot of credit has to given to McLaren team principal Ron Dennis, who supported Hamilton after he met him as a nine-year-old and was told: “Hi. I’m Lewis Hamilton. I won the British Championship and one day I want to be racing your cars.”

People may think it’s easy to support a talented young driver — Hamilton at 16 finished four places behind Michael Schumacher in a go-karting race — but his race would have played a massive part in whether or not Dennis wanted
Disagree? Ask yourself why there was no-one before Hamilton and why he is still the only ethnic minority in the sport.

Or why black athletes are still underrepresented in our national teams.

Hamilton, as a British driver and black man, has broken countless records. In 2008 he became the youngest Formula One world champion in history, before Sebastian Vettel broke the record two years later.

His third world title made him the first British driver in history to win consecutive F1 titles and the second Brit to win three titles after Jackie Stewart.

Given what Hamilton has achieved by 30, he is surely reaching legendary status in his sport.

But there are wider implications. If Hamilton continues on this trajectory he would not only become the best F1 driver of all time but he would surely be the most successful black athlete.

That is remarkable. Yet he isn’t celebrated by the black community the way Usain Bolt is.

Being Jamaican myself, I know family members that throw parties when Bolt races.

Families and friends gather around the television as he competes as the country gets swept by Boltmania.

My grandparents tell me how communities gather back in Jamaica for the Olympics, just to see their national hero race.

I’m not expecting British families to halt what they are doing to watch Hamilton but it surprises me that he isn’t afforded the same amount of love from the black community from what I’ve seen.

While we are worlds apart, as the first black sports editor of a British national daily paper, there are even some parallels to be drawn between us.

He not only represents himself and Britain, he is a role model to every black person across the world.

For that, he will always have my utmost respect.