Lewis Hamilton Wants African Countries to 'Take Back' the Continent From Britain

Formula One superstar Lewis Hamilton is calling on African countries to “take back” the continent, which he said is “controlled” by European nations. The 41-year-old British racing driver, who currently competes for Ferrari, said that he hopes to compete in a grand prix in Africa before he eventually retires and wants to see the influence of former colonial rules wane. “I've got roots from a few different places there, like Togo and Benin. I'm really proud of that part of the world,” said Hamilton, per ESPN. “I think it is the most beautiful part of the world, and I don't like that the rest of the world owns so much of it and takes so much from it, and no one speaks about it.” He added that he “really” hopes to see leaders across Africa “all unite and come together and take Africa back.” “Take it back from the French, take it back from the Spanish, take it back from the Portuguese and the British,” said Hamilton, who was the first Black Formula One driver. “It's so important for the future of that continent. They have all the resources to be the greatest and most powerful place in the world, and that's probably why they are being controlled the way they are. The majority of African nations, except Ethiopia and Liberia, have been colonized at one point or another. Britain, Germany, Portugal, France, and Italy have all staked a claim to African land throughout history. Western Sahara is still disputed by Morocco, but the last country to declare independence from Africa was as late as 1990, when Namibia declared independence from South Africa, which administered the country after Germany established control in the 1880s. Hamilton said that he’s been fighting for an African grand prix. “For the past six years, maybe seven, I've been fighting in the background to get a grand prix ... sitting with stakeholders and asking the question, 'Why are we not in Africa?'” he said. “I don't want to leave the sport without having a grand prix there, without getting to race there, so I'm chasing them. They're setting certain dates; I'm like, 'Damn, I could be running out of time,' so I'm going to be here for a while until that happens. That would be amazing, given that I'm half African.

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