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September 13, 2012

Lewis Carl Hamilton
Lewis Carl Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton Wins Italian Grand Prix; Fans Boo Him

by Frederick H. Lowe
Lewis Carl Hamilton, the world’s only black Formula 1 race car driver, won Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix, putting him in contention to win his second world driving championship in four years.

Hamilton drove his McLaren to first place past the waving checkered flag on the course in Monza, Italy.

Hamilton finished in a time of 1:19:41.221, defeating Fernando Alonso, who finished third in his Ferrari but extended his overall lead for the world driving championship. Sergio Perez, who drives for the Sauber-Ferrari team, finished second, 4.3 seconds behind Hamilton. Perez is from Mexico.

Italians booed Hamilton after his victory, but they cheered Alonzo, who is from Spain.

Race car
In the overall Formula 1 standings, Alonso has 179 points with three wins, and Hamilton is in second place with 142 points and three wins, according to Formula 1’s official Web site. Hamilton  raised the victory trophy in triumph on the podium after the Canadian Grand Prix on June 10 and the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 29.

Seven races are left to go before the season ends on November 25 with the Grand Prix of Brazil in Sao Paulo.

During an interview posted on Forumla 1’s official race site, Hamilton was told that his victory meant a huge leap forward [in the standings].  “Yes. Now it gets really interesting. But still the championship is very unpredictable, very wide open,” he said.

Spanish spectators wore black face, black wigs and T-shirts printed with the words 'Hamilton’s family.

Hamilton won the Formula 1 World Driving Championship in 2008, but his victory poured gasoline on fan racism. In Catalonia, Spain, Spanish spectators wore black face, black wigs and T-shirts printed with the words “Hamilton’s family.”

Formula 1 Racing is the world’s most-expensive sport. Team owners can easily write checks for $35 million to pay for a car engine. The best drivers can earn more than $25 million annually.

Hamilton was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England, on Jan. 7, 1985. His father is black and from Grenada and his mother is white and British. His father, Anthony, named his son in honor of Carl Lewis, the U.S. Olympic team gold medal sprinter and long jumper.

Lewis Hamilton said his heroes are his father, Nelson Mandela and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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