09 ISSUE VI
JUNE 2025
JUNE 2025
The New Conversations: The Lewis Hamilton Revolution
GPIA MA candidate Ivan Pech interviews Michael E Sawyer, author of the new book, SIR LEWIS: THE DEFINITIVE BIOGRAPHY, about the race driver, Lewis Hamilton.
By Ivan Pech
Michael E. Sawyer is an Associate Professor of African American Literature and Culture at the University of Pittsburgh. His new book, SIR LEWIS: THE DEFINITIVE BIOGRAPHY, was recently published by Legacy, an imprint of Hachette Books. I interviewed Sawyer about the book, his general impressions of Formula One, and his broader research interests. Sawyer has previously written books on Malcolm X, the influential Black American leader, as well as on Africana philosophy. This is an edited version of our conversation.
Why did you want to research and write a book about Lewis Hamilton, and what drew you to him?
I’ve mentioned elsewhere that I’ve been a Formula One fan for most of my adult life. What drew me in wasn’t just the racing itself, but the presence of someone like Lewis Hamilton—a non-traditional figure in a sport that had, for most of its history, been almost exclusively white. That dynamic was always compelling to me.
I followed him from the very beginning of his career, not just as a driver but as a figure who stood out in a significant way. Like many others, I was fascinated by his rookie season, where he came within a single point of winning the championship—something almost unprecedented, especially for someone new to such a complex sport. Even more remarkable was that he was competing against a teammate [Fernando Alonso at McLaren Racing Limited] who was already a two-time World Champion. [The eventual champion that season was Kimi Räikkönen.] So, even within his team, he faced an experienced and formidable competitor.
Around 2014 or 2015, I began paying closer attention to what Lewis was doing outside the car—his involvement in social justice, environmental issues, gender equity, and broader efforts related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. As someone who studies these topics professionally—and as someone who also deeply values athletes who take political and social stances—I found that aspect of his public persona especially compelling.
In 2020, during the pandemic, he took a bold, unequivocal stance against police violence in the wake of Breonna Taylor’s killing. [Breonna Taylor was killed during a botched police raid in Louisville, Kentucky, on March 13, 2020, after officers fired 32 shots into her apartment.] That moment stood out to me. It felt like a turning point, a moment that underscored the importance of his voice and platform. That’s when I decided to seriously consider writing a book about him. I began pulling my thoughts together and started the process of finding a publisher.
How did you find a publisher for SIR LEWIS?
I began developing ideas and a proposal for the book, which ultimately found a home with a trade publisher. While I don’t typically differentiate between types of books, this one was published in a different subfield of publishing than what I’m used to—trade publishing with its own set of rules. One of the first things I had to do was create a comprehensive proposal that outlined the book’s audience, which made me consider things I don’t usually have to think about. I started taking it seriously in 2020. One of the key hurdles in trade publishing is the need for an agent. Unlike academic publishing, trade houses won’t accept unsolicited manuscripts, so securing an agent was essential. That process took some time, especially since I was coming from an academic publishing background and had to navigate the shift to the trade side.
I read a statistic recently that the average American audience wasn’t interested in Formula One before Netflix's series “Drive to Survive.” Do you think you needed to address that, or was Lewis’s exclusion from the show enough of a way to introduce him in a new light, something that hadn't been shown before?
You make an astute point about the cultural context at the time: In the first season of “Drive to Survive,” Lewis wasn’t part of the rights agreement between Netflix, Formula One, and the drivers. It was strange because while you’re watching the show and hearing about drivers, the one winning races—Lewis Hamilton—was absent. At that point, he was dominating the sport, creating an interesting void, especially for new audiences in the U.S. who saw him as an enigma that wasn’t even fully revealed. His absence on the show made the moment of his eventual inclusion richer, allowing for a deeper exploration of the media implications of his absence and the growing U.S. audience. [In 2020, Lewis, driving for Mercedes, joined Season 2 of “Drive of Survive.” It covered the 2019 Formula One World Championship.]
What’s also fascinating is that Lewis already had a following in the U.S. that had nothing to do with Formula One—it had more to do with his cultural cachet. His entry into “Drive to Survive” helped bridge that gap. The timing was also fortuitous: during the pandemic, people were at home, and Formula One was one of the few sports still going. It didn’t matter as much that there were no fans in the stands—Formula One races are made for TV, and the crowd is secondary to the action.
Lewis is such a fascinating figure because he’s not just a driver—he has a lot more going on. As a transatlantic figure, he spends a lot of time in places like New York, L.A., and Colorado, interacting with people like Serena Williams and [music composer and fashion designer] Pharrell Williams. This made him familiar to U.S. audiences beyond just the racing world, and that convergence of factors really made his story stand out.
The book begins by anchoring itself in a cultural moment, the Met Gala. It's coming up soon here in New York City, actually within the next two weeks. It’s been announced that Lewis Hamilton will co-chair this year’s event, which will celebrate Black Dandyism. Do you think self-expression has always been central to Lewis, especially within Black culture? And how do you think this recontextualization goes beyond just fashion?
Yes, I started the book purposefully at the Met Gala to express that. The long-term elements of Hamilton’s life—will be far more significant in a different kind of register than the brief time athletes spend as athletes. The Met Gala this year is particularly poignant for the reasons you mentioned because Lewis, [actor, rapper and designer] A$AP Rocky, [actor] Coleman Domingo, and I believe one other person [Vogue editor Anna Wintour] are co-chairs. The visual artist Rashid Johnson is a featured artist and a member of the host committee. The notion of Black dandyism is about being counter cultural in a way that takes elements from all kinds of other cultures and syncretically puts them together.
Self-expression has always been central to Lewis, from the very early days of his career. Whether it was braiding his hair, getting tattoos, or wearing items outside the standard team livery [that is the paint scheme, logos, and sponsor placements that a driver is supposed to wear], he pushed to show up in ways that reflected his individuality. I believe that this legacy dates back to Black athletes and celebrities, from the elegance of Duke Ellington to the aesthetic presentation of Muhammad Ali. These things have always existed. Lewis fits into that legacy.
The Met Gala of 2021, where I begin the book, and what’s happening now, four years later, interestingly bookend his career at these moments. He's moving toward the end of it, but fashion, and the Met Gala in particular, remain constants.
Lewis Hamilton is not only the most successful Formula One driver, but also the most vocal about change, particularly with the importance of the Hamilton Commission and his advocacy for F1’s drive to change. How do you think he manages to balance that while still performing at such a high level, especially considering that he may have detractors, particularly with how the current season has started?
I think Lewis and Muhammad Ali are comparable figures in many ways. Ali was an international superstar who took political stances that cost him the most productive years of his life, particularly when he was prevented from boxing due to his protest against the Vietnam War. What Lewis has done, which I think is truly innovative and shifts the conversation around sports, athletes, and activism–is that he speaks while he is at the very top of his sport, even now.
Even as he navigates a new team, which may not be fully understood due to the complexity of Formula One, he remains far and away the most marketable figure. All of this has happened despite, or perhaps because of, the vocal and outward stances he has taken on issues such as gender equity, queer rights, diversity, equity, inclusion, children’s rights in underserved areas, the environment, veganism, police violence, and more.
One way to look at it is that Lewis's popularity and influence are not despite his activism, but because of it. He’s remained incredibly popular even though he hasn’t been in contention for a championship since 2021. His commitment to speaking out on these issues has only grown more fervent.
Lewis’s relationship with his father, Anthony, is a big part of the book. How have they influenced each other in dealing with racists and how do they differ?
For me, one of the most interesting parts of writing the book was this broader conversation, which goes beyond Formula One but is still an integral part of it: about fatherhood—parenthood more generally, but especially parenting under stressful conditions. From the perspective of a child, navigating a highly complex situation while trying to perform at an extraordinarily high level. How do you manage that, whether it’s with music, gymnastics, or even something like wanting to be the best fifth-grade teacher in the world? Every parent grapples with this.
Then there's the next layer: professionalism. When your parent is essentially your manager—whether you signed up for it or not—they have to make decisions that go far beyond the personal relationship. It's no longer just “show parents”—it's show business. They have a business relationship that complicates things.
The third layer is the complexity of race. Anthony Hamilton came from a generation that dealt with racism and bigotry in ways that Lewis found insufficient. That doesn’t mean his dad was wrong, but it highlights an evolutionary perspective. Anthony’s approach was shaped by his experience, where racism was often a casual, day-to-day issue. For him, as a person with a job, that was the reality. But when you’re the most famous person in the world or the best at something, racism doesn’t simply fade away. The idea that you can simply do your job well and people will accept you doesn’t apply when you’re dealing with an international sport like Formula One.
There was definitely tension between Lewis and his dad over how to approach these issues. After the racist incident in Barcelona in 2008 during Formula 1 testing [when Spanish spectators in blackface targeted Lewis], Anthony and Lewis had fundamental disagreements about how to move forward in addressing racism. Lewis felt that staying silent wasn’t the solution, whereas his dad had a different view. Despite this, his dad was always around. There was a period when he wasn’t as involved in managing Lewis, but he never completely disappeared from his life.
Lewis races for Ferrari. Ferrari is everything. If it wasn't football, it's the Tifosi [the passionate fans of the Scuderia Ferrari HP Formula 1 team are known by this name]. It's a synchronized religion. Honestly, I don’t think there’s a bigger marriage in the history of the sport than Lewis and Ferrari. How significant do you think this is as a cultural moment? It feels almost like an extra chapter in the book, don't you think?
You're absolutely right. There’s nothing comparable to this in any sport. It’s hard to imagine—some things just wouldn’t make sense, right? For example, if we were back in the '70s with Pelé, such a legendary figure, and somehow he ended up playing for Argentina—it would be ridiculous, right? It just doesn’t add up.
When you think about Ferrari and its place in the legacy of Italian culture, it’s deeply rooted in the history of Italian art, dating back to the Renaissance. Enzo Ferrari himself embodies everything about Italian sensibilities, both the good and the bad. Being an Italian artisan means dedicating yourself to your craft at all costs. It’s not about practicality, or even price—it’s about the Ferrari itself. That’s what matters. The Tifosi, and the Italian people in general, are incredibly invested in their pride for art, and Ferrari stands as a pinnacle of Italian artistic expression today, alongside fashion and the Renaissance.
Formula One becomes the ultimate platform for Italians to showcase their artistic pride. When Lewis Hamilton joined Ferrari, it was a huge move—not just on the racing front, but culturally. You saw it when he arrived, how he presented himself, the F40, the F50, everything at Enzo Ferrari's house. It was a moment that truly moved Ferrari forward, symbolizing a new chapter. And, you know, considering Italy’s history with race and figures like [footballer Mario] Balotelli, it felt like a cultural statement in itself.
Do you think he has to be 'perfect' in Italy, especially as a Black man? Does he have to embody the ideal cultural representation of what it means to be Black in the 21st century? Or do you think the media would be less forgiving because he’s Sir Lewis Hamilton, so to speak?
We'll have to wait and see what happens, right? Lewis isn’t Balotelli—he’s not that kind of figure. [Balotelli’s actions, while laudable and at a cost to himself, seldom result in sustained advocacy or changes at an institutional level]. Lewis comes with real credentials. And the Tifosi are incredibly forgiving; they’re knowledgeable fans who understand the complexities, and they’ll support him as long as he’s working hard. I think this is a moment for us to step back and recognize that someone of Lewis’s stature doesn’t really have anything to prove. The courage it took for him to join Ferrari is significant. It’s not just about the driving—it's about adjusting to an entirely new platform, from the steering wheel to the drivetrain, even the communication, since it's not Bono [the engineer Peter Bennington who worked with Hamilton at Mercedes] anymore. There’s a lot of change.
But despite all that, the Italian fans I’ve been following—on social media, talking to people I know—they're still firmly behind Lewis. I think Charles [Leclerc] is the perfect teammate for this, too. When he looks back, racing with Lewis will be one of the defining moments of his career. This is a rare cultural moment, and I just want to enjoy it, whether or not Lewis wins a championship. I know he's frustrated—he still wants to lead from the front.
How will Lewis’s time at Ferrari shape the final chapter of his racing career?
The second half of the season will likely be much better for him. We’ll see what happens when they arrive in Miami and how they address these issues. [The race was won by McLaren driver Oscar Piastri from Australia; Hamilton finished eight.] It seems to me that he and Leclerc have taken different approaches to developing the car. Lewis is as competitive as ever, but he’s got to get through this qualifying issue and work his way up. That said, I think he’s in a car capable of delivering a championship, so I’m optimistic. There’s no doubt in my mind about his skill or desire. Those two factors are huge.
One thing that needs to be taken seriously is Lewis himself. The Ferrari years are going to be fascinating to follow. It’s one of those stories that unfolds as you watch it.
But what I find most interesting is the question you raised: what’s really happening in Italy with Lewis there? What does his presence mean for Ferrari as a brand, not just locally, but globally? To be honest, I don’t think Ferrari has ever truly had a spokesperson in the way other brands do. It wouldn’t have mattered if Lewis spent his entire career as a Mercedes spokesperson—because, let’s be real, I doubt most Mercedes owners even know or care about their F1 team. But nobody who owns a Ferrari doesn’t care about the Formula 1 team. So, in that sense, it’s the perfect marriage between the two. It’s revelatory and revolutionary.
Ivan Pech is an MA candidate at The New School.