The Briton, the only black Formula 1 driver whose paternal grandparents emigrated to Britain from the Caribbean, has documented on social media his trip to Namibia, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania.
“These past two weeks have been some of the best days of my entire life,” the 37-year-old said in an Instagram post.
“I am no longer the same man I was before this trip, all the beauty, love and peace I have experienced makes me feel completely transformed.”
Hamilton, who races for Mercedes and has won a record 103 Grands Prix, said he had connected to his roots and felt his ancestry with him stronger than ever.
“No amount of photos could capture what I’m feeling now and what I’m trying to say,” he told his 29.5 million followers. “Just know that where words fail, emotions run deep.”
Hamilton has long called for Formula 1 to race on the continent, with the sport in talks with organizers of South Africa returning to Kyalami for the first time since 1993.
“The place I really feel is close to my heart and the most important thing for me is to get a race back in South Africa,” Hamilton, a vocal campaigner for racial equality and diversity, said last year.
“I think there is a big audience and it would be great to be able to highlight how beautiful the homeland is.”
