Lewis Hamilton has urged the people of Africa to “take back” their continent in a highly emotional speech at the Australian Grand Prix on Thursday.

Hamilton, who has African heritage, has previously been in Kenya, Rwanda, and Benin for summer breaks. F1’s first Black racing driver, Hamilton has also often advocated hosting an F1 race in Africa, stating on Thursday that he would like to compete in a grand prix on the continent before his career ends.

In that speech, he spoke of his love for the continent but expressed concern that it was being “controlled” by European powers.

The 41-year-old told reporters in Melbourne: “I’ve got roots from a few different places there, like Togo and Benin. I’m really proud of that part of the world.

“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. I’m really hoping that the people that are running those different countries all unite and come together and take Africa back.

“That’s what I want to see. Take it back from the French, take it back from the Spanish, take it back from the Portuguese and the British. 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.”

Africa has not hosted a Formula 1 Grand Prix for over three decades, with the last race taking place in 1993 at the Kyalami Circuit in South Africa. Hamilton hopes things change.

“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.

“There’s one on every other continent, why not Africa? I know they’re really trying.”

Hamilton is hoping to bounce back this season after a difficult first year with Ferrari, in which he failed to finish on the podium.