Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton says he feels “transformed” after traveling across Africa during the August Formula 1 break.
The Briton, the only black Formula 1 driver whose grandparents migrated from the Caribbean to the UK, has documented his trip to Namibia, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania on social media.
“The last two weeks have been some of the best days of my life,” Hamilton, 37, said in an Instagram post. “I’m not the same guy I was before this trip, all the beauty, love, and calm I experienced made me feel completely transformed.”
Hamilton, who has raced for Mercedes and won a record 103 races, said he is connected to his roots and feels his forebears with him are stronger than ever.
“No number of photos can capture what I’m feeling right now and what I’m trying to say,” he told his 29.5 million followers. “Just know, where words fail, emotions deepen.”
Hamilton has long asked Formula One to race on the continent, with the sport speaking to South African organizers about returning to Kyalami for the first time since 1993.
“The place I really feel is very dear to my heart and most important to me is to get racing back in South Africa,” said Hamilton, an advocate for racial equality and diversity, last year. “I think there are a lot of followers of this sport and it would be great to be able to highlight how beautiful Mother Earth is.”
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