Lewis Hamilton
On this date in 2007, the first Black driver won a Formula One (F1) Motorsport Race.
Lewis Hamilton, a 22-year-old rookie born in England, won the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal in a race with caution flags. The Black Englishman won in his sixth F1 start that day and had six consecutive top-three finishes. Hamilton said, "I'm just having a fantastic day; this is history." The only one to give the Mercedes McLaren driver any competition during the 70-lap race on Circuit Gilles Villeneuve's 2.71-mile road course. He chased Hamilton all day without catching him. Hamilton won by 4.3 seconds.
Hamilton, the first driver to start an F1 career in such a formidable manner, scrambled out of his silver and red car, thrusting his arms in the air. He then jumped to the ground, trotted to a barrier, and jumped across to dive into the midst of his crew, hugging everyone in sight.
"It's been a fantastic season already," he said. "We've had six podiums, and I've been ready for quite some time for the win. It's just been a matter of when and where. The team gave me the best car, and I had no problems during the race at all. . . The next dream is to win the Formula One championship," Hamilton said. "But, bear in mind, I'm still a rookie, and there's bound to be some bad times, too."
