Who was the first Black driver to race in Formula 1?

Lewis Hamilton was the first Black driver to race in a Formula 1 World Championship Grand Prix.

Hamilton made his Formula 1 debut for McLaren at the 2007 Australian Grand Prix. He finished third, immediately becoming the first Black race driver to compete in an official Formula 1 Grand Prix and the first to stand on an F1 podium.

His breakthrough followed a rapid junior-career progression supported by McLaren. Hamilton won the 2005 GP2 Series title and entered F1 as teammate to reigning world champion Fernando Alonso. In 2008, his second season, he became the sport’s first Black World Drivers’ Champion.

A frequent mix-up involves Willy T. Ribbs, who became the first Black man to test a Formula 1 car when he drove a Brabham in 1986. Ribbs did not start a World Championship Grand Prix, so the wording “to race in Formula 1” correctly points to Hamilton rather than to the earlier test driver.