Kenya: Lewis Hamilton Shouts-Out Maxine Wahome on Instagram and Kenyans Go Gaga!

By Timothy Olobulu

Nairobi — Maxine Wahome's feat as the first woman in over 28 years to win a class at a World Rally Championship event attracted hige praise from all around the world and perhaps the biggest was Formula One icon Lewis Hamilton posting the 27-year old Kenyan girl on his Instagram Stories.

Hamilton, 37, a seven time World Champion in Formula One, posted a photo of Maxine, her navigator Murage Waigwa and President Uhuru Kenyatta on the podium at the end of the WRC Safari Rally in Naivasha.

On top was a tweet from Autosport detailing Wahome's WRC3 win in Naivasha. With it, Hamilton added a double high-five on his Instagram stories.

Wahome produced five error-free stages on the final day of the Safari to head the all-Ford Fiesta Rally3 field by 25min 27sec over second-placed Jeremy Wahome.

The last woman to win a major WRC class was Isolde Holdereid in the Group N Cup in 1994.

Wahome, who was the only female driver in the top classes at the Rally received massive praise across social media.

She posted on her Twitter; "I'm honoured to make history and been the First Lady to win the WRC 3 category in the safari rally!! Thank you Mr. President @ukenyatta for acknowledging me and my talent, @motor_atrep for getting the car ready, @msportpoland for coming down to Kenya to help with preparations."

Hamilton has been a huge fighter of equality in motorsports in terms of gender, race and sexuality and has been vocal about his stances.

This article originally appeared in BBC News

Photo: GETTY