F1 legend Lewis Hamilton celebrates Kenyan rally driver Maxine Wahome
British motorsport legend Lewis Hamilton has congratulated Kenyan rally driver Maxine Wahome for becoming the first female to win a round in the just concluded WRC Safari Rally.
The 26-year-old Maxine, navigated by Waigwa Murage, emerged victorious in the WRC3 category of the event that attracted top rally drivers in the World Rally Championship.
Hamilton, a seven-time F1 world champion, shared a screenshot from autosport celebrating Maxine for the win.
“History made! Maxine Wahome has become the first woman to win a round in the #WRC’s WRC3 class at #SafariRallyKenya,” the message read.
Reacting to the post, Hamilton posted a hands-up emoji to celebrate Maxine.
Maxine was making her WRC3 debut on home soil in her new Ford Fiesta.
After her victory, Maxine thanked her team and sponsors for helping her achieve this milestone, adding that she hopes more women will compete in the next rally.
“I am very excited about finishing the rally which is among the toughest in the world. I am grateful to my team for supporting me through the preparations and the rally itself. I am also grateful to my sponsors for giving me the privilege of being the only female driver who competed and finished at this year’s WRC Safari Rally. I hope more women will compete next year and we can make history,” she said.
“It was a tough rally extremely tough one especially for me with a brand new car but my goal was to learn the car, take every day take it step by step that’s what brought me here,” she added.
Maxine has now set her sights on the African Rally Championships where she is hoping to improve on her performance.