“I never liked being told what to do.” In one sentence, Lewis Hamilton set the scene. All along the interview granted to Vanity Fair [article en anglais], published Monday, August 8, the Briton will not deviate from his trajectory. That of a man of convictions. Difficult childhood, racism, criticism of his extra-sporting lifestyle, feeling of injustice after losing the world title last season… the F1 superstar can face anything. Everything except spiders and road traffic.
Lewis Hamilton has always been out of place. From his debut in F1 (“I felt like I was not welcome”) until today when his style of dress is still sometimes controversial (“An F1 driver shouldn’t have piercings and personality?”), he always remained true to his line of conduct. So is the man from Stevenage, whom seven world championship titles and 103 Grand Prix victories did not corrupt.
Lewis’ career in 1 video. pic.twitter.com/YZe4LTBfmD
— Sir Lewis Hamilton (@SirLewis_France) August 1, 2022
Beaten by a father and son, for no reason other than the color of his skin, in a store in Newcastle when he was 12, Hamilton had to face racism at a very young age. He kept the bitter memory of it (“I still feel today how horrible it was”), but it was also built around that. From school, where he was dyslexic, young Lewis faced adversity. Fortunately, he had this gift. A gift discovered very early, when, at the age of six, he ridiculed adults in races of remote-controlled cars.
The sequel, from karting races to the discovery of the prodigy by Ron Denis, the boss of McLaren, will only confirm that Lewis was born to drive. But not only. “When I signed with Mercedes in 2013, I asked them not to try to control what I was doing off the track. A freedom to which the Briton is too attached to comply with the rules of a stable, however powerful it may be.
Proudly, he recounts the counterpart of the deal with the German firm: “In return, I’ll help you win titles and prove to you that being someone different isn’t bad for your brand.” He arguably achieved it beyond all of Mercedes’ hopes. And this, without ever denying a way of life that its detractors consider exuberant and unsuitable with the almost monastic lifestyle which pilots should be inspired by. “I took the fastest lap of my life in Singapore, after returning from fashion week in New York”he laughs.
What does not make him smile, however, is the memory of the last Grand Prix 2021 in Abu Dhabi. Obviously. The Mercedes driver had the title almost in his pocket when, by a very controversial decision of the race director, Max Verstappen managed to steal the victory, and the title, from him on the last lap. “I don’t know if I can put words to what I felt”, he admits. “I just remember I had to unbuckle my seat belt and get out of that car. I had to find the strength to do it but I didn’t have it. It was one of my hardest moments in a very, very long time.”
However, it would take more to bend Lewis Hamilton. Only a cause like Black Lives Matter can bring him down on one knee to try to move the lines in F1 (“in 70 years, no one in our sport has stood up, except to defend their own interests”). Despite 15 seasons spent on F1 tarmacs and a reluctant Mercedes this season, the man with 28 million followers on Instagram does not intend to stop permanently at the pits.
I’ve been gone. Now I’m back! pic.twitter.com/Y8i0cgJXZq
—Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) February 5, 2022
“Of course I asked myself the question of whether I wanted to continue. I was really in a dark period”, he confesses in reference to the painful epilogue of Abu Dhabi. But the passion for racing continues to irrigate his blood. He hammers: “I’m still on a mission. I still like to drive. I still like the challenge. I don’t feel the time to retire is near.”
Monster of will and ambition, the co-holder of world titles (7, with Michael Schumacher) is nevertheless capable of splitting the armor. What makes him so human. You can thus be able to drive cars at more than 300 km/h and admit that you are not comfortable on the road to get your bread! “I find it stressful”he confides, “anything can happen”.
A fear that he assumes perfectly. Unlike the one he feels for spiders and which makes him inspect every corner of his room when he travels to countries such as Australia, renowned for the dangerousness of its arachnids. “It’s pathetic, I know”, he laughs. The man is back from everything, from injustice and prejudice, but he can’t even look at a picture of a spider. Finally, it is true that each hero has his weaknesses.