Lewis Hamilton has vowed to help the FIA and Formula 1 become more diverse, claiming the current system limits opportunity to "wealthy kids".

The six-time world champion broke down barriers when he arrived on the grid in 2007 as the first black driver in F1 and has often spoken of the role his association with McLaren played in getting him to where he is today.

During Hamilton's 12-year career, however, the cultural complexion of the grid has remained largely unchanged with no more drivers of colour joining and only Susie Wolff breaking the male domination with some Friday practice outings with Williams in 2014. 

“I want to help some youngsters, I want to help change this sport somehow to be an even more diverse sport," Lewis stated in a video released by Mercedes.

"I want to encourage the teams to be diverse, I want the sport to be more accessible. I hope at some stage a young, powerful woman comes through and blows the field away. Wouldn’t that be something special?”

The new W Series, launched last year, is looking to increase female participation in motorsport and find future talent but as Hamilton then notes, that doesn't address the racial imbalance.

 
“I was at the FIA Gala and I came across an Asian family and I was like, 'Geez, I thought I was going to be the only brown person here' because that’s how it normally is," he explained.

"It’s funny to laugh at that kind of thing, but I’m in a world where that’s been common for my entire life.

"To see people of colour in the audience - whether it’s black, Asian, whatever it maybe - it’s just great to see diversity slowly creeping in because it is a world that’s open to everyone."

A few weeks earlier, Hamilton had spoken about what he sees as the root cause for many young drivers perhaps not fulfilling the potential they might have, costs. 

“There are very few, if [any] working-class families on their way up. It’s all wealthy families," Lewis declared.

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“I’ve got a friend of mine who was nearly in Formula 1 and then he got leapfrogged by a wealthy kid and then his opportunity was gone. So I do want to somehow get it back to basics.

“I do want to get involved in working with the FIA, which is the governing body, and Formula 1, because they can do more to give back, I’d say.

“And also it doesn’t need to be as expensive as that. I want to get it opened up because you look at football, at tennis, there’s grassroots [projects].”