competing in motorsport at a junior level. While racing in
motorsport has always been an expensive hobby, costs have risen
considerably in recent years. It has left many young aspiring
drivers priced out of climbing the racing ladder en route to a
professional contract. Hamilton, who does not come from a luxurious
background, was signed by McLaren when he was 13, which aided his
journey to F1. His father famously had to take extra measures to
fund his junior career prior to the McLaren tie-up – but Hamilton
insisted that similar actions are not feasible today. “I’ve not
spent any time really looking at it, because it’s something that’s
just constantly going in the wrong direction, in my opinion,”
Hamilton told media including RacingNews365 . “There’s no
accountability in terms of the people that run these organisations,
or run the sports. “I don’t know how, but there needs to be some
way to make it accessible. It’s ridiculous. “I know someone who has
a kid who’s eight years old, who is spending over a million dollars
a year. “Of course, it’s more expensive today, but when I started,
I remember my dad spent £20,000 in the first year, and that was
like, remortgaging the house and maxing out all the credit cards.”
Hamilton does not expect a change any time soon, suggesting that
some drivers who possess tangible talent will miss out on a career
in motorsport due to a lack of funds. “I just think today, it’s
highly unlikely, if not impossible, for someone from a normal
background to be able to make it to a place to compete with those
that spend the minimum,” he said. “It just shouldn’t be allowed,
and when you get to the other categories, it’s more and more
expensive. So it’s a real shame. “Rather than who’s got the most
talent comes through, it’s the families with the most money that
create the opportunities for the kids and it’s the privileged kids
that come through. “Unfortunately, for the short-term, that’s what
you are going to see over the next several decades until that
changes. “And that’s down to the FIA and Formula 1, they actually
need to make those changes, it’s highly unlikely unless people like
you guys [the media] hold them accountable.”