Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes have made official their collaboration regarding the "Ignite" project, a charity that will be committed to support diversity and foster inclusion in motorsport.

After nearly a year of preparatory work by "The Hamilton Commission", the Ignite program will give people with different backgrounds a wider access to the diverse work sectors of motorsports.

Ignite will initially be funded by a multi-million dollar fund created by Hamilton and his Formula 1 team and it will work closely with the British driver's personal foundation, Mission 44, to deliver tangible results for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team and the English industry.

Speaking about the foundation, the 7-time World Champion stated: “Mercedes have long supported my ambition to improve diversity and inclusion within the motorsport industry.

“I am so thrilled that, through Ignite, we are able to formally work together to achieve this," - he explained - "Diverse workforces are not only more successful but are also the morally correct approach for any industry."

“The findings of The Hamilton Commission have provided us a fantastic base to begin our work, and I am confident that Ignite will result in real, tangible change within motorsport."

An important topic for the Englishman, who has always expressed his desire to help those who have no means to get to Formula 1.

"For 15 years, I have remained one of the few black employees within Formula 1," - he continued - "And I am proud that my work with Mercedes is going to change that for the better. I am delighted today that we can finally talk about our plans for the Ignite initiative."

From the thousands of jobs in Formula 1, only 1% of employees are from Black backgrounds. The Hamilton Commission aims to change that. pic.twitter.com/m0sWvvQwRq

— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) July 13, 2021

Mercedes' Team Principal and CEO, Toto Wolff, added: "Since we announced our intention with Lewis at the start of the year to create a joint project, a great deal of work and discussion has taken place in the background to refine our aims and our mission.

“Opening up motorsport and becoming a more diverse and inclusive team are fundamental to our team's values and, with the full support of Mercedes-Benz, we are committed to making a positive impact on society and building a platform from which future generations can access and enjoy our fantastic sport." he explained.

“Ignite will complement our team's own Accelerate 25 programme, and through these platforms we hope to see much more talent from under-represented groups both join our team and take up careers in the wider motorsport industry."