With seven world championship titles to his name, Lewis Hamilton has proven himself to be one of the greatest legends in F1. In doing so, he finds himself in an elite group of athletes who have done the same in their respective sports.
The Mercedes driver described this as a “surreal” feeling, emphasizing that he has learned plenty from the likes of Tom Brady, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, and LeBron James.
Speaking in an interview with The Racer, Lewis Hamilton said:
“Then people like Tom (Brady); I’ve been to the Super Bowl and seen him come from, like, his head in his hands as they’re losing, and then pulling it back with incredible mental strength. So, he’s an older athlete and he’s killing it right now – I’m like, ‘I want whatever you’re having!’. So there’s lots to learn from everybody. The same with Serena (Williams), (Roger) Federer, even LeBron (James) – there’s loads of incredible athletes out there doing great things. And to be able to be a part of that peer set – I always hoped one day we’d be able to relate to each other, so it’s very surreal to sit with Tom and us to talk to each other on a similar wavelength. It’s very, very, very surreal, very cool.” “I think it’s the same for everyone. I take a lot of inspiration from other athletes like watching Serena, seeing everything she’s gone through and in conversations, just the way she’s pulled herself back up and the great performances… she is just such a warrior and she’s my inspiration right now. So it’s really just about taking time to sit back, reflect, figure out what you can do better. As athletes, we are super-determined, we don’t like to lose, we don’t like to fail. Failure is not an option, but sometimes you do, and that’s part of the process. It’s how you then don’t beat yourself up or beat yourself down, it’s how you take it on, put it on your back, and use it as experience to power forward.”
Both Serena Williams and Roger Federer have retired from their respective sports.
“Mercedes until the day I die” – Lewis Hamilton on future in F1
Lewis Hamilton’s future in F1 has been under plenty of speculation over the past season, with several rumors suggesting that he plans to retire soon. The seven-time world champion has since made it clear that he has no such intentions and confirmed that he plans to remain with Mercedes exclusively.
As reported by F1.com, Lewis Hamilton said:
“For years we’ve been going around, up and down with stories of retirement and stopping. For me, I feel healthier than I’ve ever felt, as I focus a lot on that – I’m feeling fit. I love what I’m doing and I don’t plan on stopping any time soon. My goal was always to be with Mercedes. I love that we have the long partnership we have. I feel like we are embarking on a lot of really positive things, not only in the sport, but outside. I think there’s a lot of work, a lot to accomplish together, so I want to be a part of that. I think I’ll always be with Mercedes until the day I die. I feel like I can race for quite a bit longer, so I’ll be potentially steering towards that.”
Lewis Hamilton currently stands sixth in the drivers’ standings with 168 points to his name.
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