Formula 1

“I think it was until 2015 that I was really, really able to properly enjoy it” : Lewis Hamilton reveals difficulty during his first win with Mercedes  The soon-to-be Ferrari man has already conquered F1 racing and has also made the sport more popular along the way. When Lewis Hamilton was in McLaren, everyone knew the amount of potential he had, and it was on joining the Silver Arrows where he received the title of the greatest F1 driver of all time. The Briton last won the world championship in 2020, and has since been on an inconsistent journey with Mercedes. Tied with Michael Schumacher at seven world titles, the 39-year-old is still hungry to break the record next year with the Italian team. Talking about world titles, the Mercedes man gave media a surprise headlines by recently revealing in an interview about the difficulty he had enjoying his first championship win with the AMG Petronas in 2014. “It just wasn’t a great time for me” : Lewis Hamilton admits having a hard time in his initial season with Mercedes Lewis Hamilton joined the German team in 2013 in what was deemed as a gamble due to no recent success of theirs. He was also able to reunite with his childhood karting teammate, Nico Rosberg. After just a one victory in 2013 at the Hungarian Grand Prix, 2014 was the defining year for the Briton where he won his second world championship which started his dominance in the sport. In contrast to what was supposed to be a huge and positive victory, the Briton has revealed he did not ‘enjoy’ his first title with the Brackley-based team. Hamilton said that he would have rather faced competition from several other teams than his own teammate. Although, he did admit that it felt sweet to make his doubters wrong. “I was competing with my teammate. He was tough to beat, but in general you would always prefer that you’re competing with several teams. That’s what the sport should be doing. More often than not, that’s not the case, but I’m still grateful for it obviously. I think it was until 2015 that I was really, really able to properly enjoy it,” said the 39-year-old (via podcast ‘Performance People’). “The first one I didn’t enjoy because it was just – I don’t know – it just wasn’t a great time for me. The second [title in 2014] was just like: ‘I made the right decision and I proved everyone wrong. Great, so I can sleep’. But then the next one felt like: ‘OK, we’re here to stay, this is really [going to mean] something’ – because [three titles is] also what Ayrton won,” the Briton added. It must have been hard to admit for the 39-year-old to speak his true feelings, as he is also soon to leave the team where he spent his peak years at. But the Briton still has one last fairytale chapter left in his career to give out to his fans worldwide, as he is set to finally pursue his childhood dream of racing in red. Also Read: “It’s going to be one hell of a second half of the season” : Lewis Hamilton has high hopes for the remainder of the year

“I actually let Lewis past, on team orders. My direct championship rival!” : Nico Rosberg reflects on his time with Mercedes and how Lewis Hamilton was preferred over him Nico Rosberg left Formula 1 on high note, winning the world championship in his final year in 2016. But prior to his final season, the German had to take a backseat and watch Lewis Hamilton on the top for a while, just like all other F1 drivers at that time. The 39-year-old recently appeared on the Sky Sports F1 podcast with Natalie Pinkham, where the topic of the latest controversy involving McLaren partners Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri was being covered. Both the Aussie and the Briton are in direct contention for the drivers’ and constructors’ championships, with Norris the closest to rival Max Verstappen. Due to this, McLaren team boss Andrea Stella has hinted that the team will now back the Briton’s title charge. “We have now to acknowledge that not only the constructors’ championship is possible but – with the performance we have at the moment in the car, and some of the struggle we see with Red Bull – even the drivers’ is definitely possible. If we can achieve both, we need to put the team and Lando in position to pursue both championships. Both drivers are mathematically in condition to do so but Lando is in the best position from a numbers point of view and we are fighting Max Verstappen. So, if we want to give support to one driver, we have to pick the one in the best position,” said the 53-year-old. Nico Rosberg had much to say about this situation, as the German had shared a similar situation in the past with his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton. “You don’t want to see your team mate win a world championship in a car that you knew you could potentially have won it in, as well” : Natalie Pinkham throws a harsh one on Nico Rosberg Nico Rosberg related to the Aussie and revealed how unfair and borderline shameful this decision could turn out to be, as Oscar Piastri is himself doing a great job so far this season.  “It is hard, though, on Oscar because Oscar, in his contract, you will have a number one contract, yeah? It won’t say in his contract that, ‘You need to help Lando’. And Oscar is driving brilliantly also, so he deserves every opportunity, just from his point of view, to get race wins. Plus, let’s also remember mathematically he can still be world champion, so there’s also that. I mean, he’s not that far behind Lando, what is it, 40 points or something? So he’s not that far behind either so it’s a hard ask on Oscar to start forfeiting race wins, potentially,” said the German. Natalie Pinkham replied to the 39-year-old while also taking the opportunity for a dig at him due to the past experiences he has had with teammate Lewis Hamilton at the Silver Arrows. “Absolutely. I mean, you don’t want to see your team-mate win a world championship in a car that you knew you could potentially have won it in as well. I mean, that’s got to be the worst,” Pinkham said in a sly tone. Nico Rosberg agreed to this statement with a smile on his face, which was overshadowing his frustration on the fact that he himself was Lewis Hamilton’s shadow and played second fiddle during his tenure with the AMG Petronas. The two have shared a fierce rivalry together in the past but, post-retirement, the German has made many positive statements about his time with the Briton from 2013 to 2016, which suggests that there will always be a level of mutual respect between them. Also Read: “There are no bad feelings, and there is no betrayal” : Toto Wolff on Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari

“Every race we get closer and closer to the last time I’ll be in a Mercedes” : Lewis Hamilton ’emotional’ after Mercedes confirms his replacement The seven-time world champion has been with the Silver Arrows since 2013, winning six world championships along the way. After confirming his departure to Scuderia Ferrari in early February, the Briton has gone all out to provide one final magic season for the German team, as he has won the British and Belgian Grand Prix this season. As for the AMG Petronas, their ideal replacement for the legendary driver would have been none other than Max Verstappen, but seeing that the Dutchman signed a contract with RBR till 2028, it did not take long for Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff to know the answer of who will replace Lewis Hamilton. “I made up my mind five minutes after Lewis Hamilton told me he was going to Ferrari,” said Toto Wolff following the official announcement of Andrea Kimi Antonelli replacing Hamilton. As part of the Mercedes Junior F1 Team, Kimi Antonelli has never raced in F1 before, and he will be doing so for the first time next season, replacing probably the greatest F1 driver of all time. Clearly, Toto Wolff and co. have a lot of faith in the Italian, giving him the keys to perform at the biggest stage at just 18-years-old.  “I know Kimi is going to do a great job” : Lewis Hamilton confident over the youngster’s abilities With a lot of ups and down throughout the season, the Briton has been on an emotional rollercoaster of a ride due to his departure from Mercedes after spending more than a decade of his career with them. When asked about how it felt to finally have his replacement in the team, Hamilton had an emotional response. “I mean, I’ve known for ages … but definitely this morning, I knew it would be announced this morning, and I definitely woke up and it was very surreal, just to have it officially confirmed my seat is going and that I’ve held on for it for so long.” said the 39-year-old (via ESPN). “I was quite emotional this morning. But really happy for Kimi and for this team. I know Kimi is going to do a great job.” Hamilton added. The Briton also revealed that he has been trying to do the best he can, knowing his final races with the Silver Arrows are coming closer and closer, and that he is performing at every race like it is his last. “It’s been there all year. Every single race we have turned up and I … I love my team so much and we have been through a hell of a lot together. So, it will be emotional every single race, because every race we do is the last time at that particular race and every race we get closer and closer to the last time I’ll be in a Mercedes and that is tough, it’s definitely going to be tough. My focus now is to try and do the best job I can for the team and finish on a high. I’ve got to find myself for qualifying somehow. My race pace is great, I’ve just got to figure out how to get back to my old self,” the Briton explained. Although it will be weird to see Hamilton next season in red, the 39-year-old will finally be able to fulfil his childhood dream of dawning the Italian colours, whereas it provides Mercedes the chance to start fresh and move on from old to new in the form of their latest gem, Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Also Read: “There are no bad feelings, and there is no betrayal” : Toto Wolff on Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari

“Qualifying has been my weakness for, and I can’t figure it out” : Lewis Hamilton ‘furious’ after qualifying issues continue ahead at the Italian GP Qualifying has been a major crisis for the seven-time world champion this season, as Lewis Hamilton has been unable to capture pole position, with his best qualifying run coming at Silverstone where he started second. This issue occurred once again at the Italian GP, where the Briton failed to get into pole positions or even the first row. Lewis Hamilton had a good start as he topped the first two out of the three practice sessions, but failed to capitalize on it. The 39-year-old will now be starting at sixth, alongside Ferrari star Carlos Sainz on the third row at Monza. Meanwhile, his teammate George Russell got the upper hand once again, making it 12 out of the 16 times the 26-year-old will be starting ahead of the legendary driver. While lately, the Silver Arrows have been on a good run after a long time, the Briton has stayed heavily inconsistent in terms of qualifying throughout the season, which has costed him quite a few races as well. But Lewis Hamilton has always remained honest with himself, and described it was his own failure that out himself in this position, and that the crew have been doing a great job over the car. Lewis Hamilton admits major flaw The Briton was ‘absolutely furious’ with himself following his qualifying performance, as the difference of 0.186 seconds saw him not receive pole position. In an interview with Sky Sports, the 39-year-old addressed his mistakes. “Absolutely furious. I could have been on pole, I could have been at least on the front row. I didn’t do the job in the end. I lost a tenth and a half into Turn 1 and 2 and then I lost another tenth at the last corner. No one to blame but myself. Qualifying has been my weakness for a minute now and I can’t figure it out. I’ll keep trying.” said a disappointed Lewis Hamilton post-qualification. “Probably a little bit of kicking myself over the next couple of hours. Ultimately I’ve got to move forwards. We have a good race car, the team have done an amazing job this weekend,” the Briton added. The only positive words Lewis Hamilton was able to come up with was about the team’s performance and how they deserve better, which led to him addressing that his replacement for next season, Kimi Antonelli might do a better job. “The car has been feeling much better than the last race and the team deserve better. Maybe they’ll get that with Kimi [Antonelli],” said the 39-year-old.  Talking about his chances on Sunday for a Grand Prix victory, the Briton believes there is no hope of that left anymore, but he will try to challenge and fight for a podium finish.  “The chance of fighting for a race win is out the window and tomorrow I’ve got to try and recover as much as I can and see if I can get past the Ferraris and try challenging and get to a podium,” Hamilton explained. After two disappointing qualification sessions at the Dutch and Italian GP, the seven-time world champion will just have to firmly move forward while working on his weaknesses. With eight more races left after the Italian GP, the season is still wide open for the Briton to make an immense comeback. Also Read: “There are no bad feelings, and there is no betrayal” : Toto Wolff on Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari

“That’s literally inviting him to leave” : F1 Pundit suggests Lewis Hamilton was ‘forced’ out of Mercedes After being with the AMG Petronas for over a decade, Lewis Hamilton is finally about to embark on an iconic journey very late in his career, after shocking the world with his move to Scuderia Ferrari. But the key details behind the curtain as to how this transfer happened were anything but smooth. With the Briton’s contract on the verge of expiring, Mercedes initially offered him a year’s contract but eventually settled for a 1+1, which means the 39-year-old had the option to extend. Seeing this, the Italian team took advantage of the situation and offered Hamilton a multi-year contract, something which Mercedes were unable to match and an offer which the Briton could ultimately not refuse. Lewis Hamilton would have liked to stay at Mercedes, but after viewing the offers, he basically had no choice but to move on to the Reds. This decision backfired on the Silver Arrows as fans and pundits alike hugely criticized their failure for not being able to keep the greatest F1 driver of all time, who most likely would have ended his professional career with them. “It’s a bit of a slap in the face” : Will Buxton on Mercedes’ inefficient management regarding Hamilton’s contract Recently, British motorsport journalist and presenter Will Buxton addressed the issue regarding the Briton’s contract, and called out the Silver Arrows for their novice and miscalculated approach of dealing with Lewis Hamilton. “Mercedes wanted Antonelli. If they didn’t want Antonelli, they’d have given Lewis a two-year contract. How do you give a seven-time world champion a 1 + 1 ? That’s literally inviting him to leave. It’s a bit of a slap in the face ya know…,” said the 43-year-old (via DRS: De Racing Show). Buxton also praised the Italian team for signing the Briton ahead of Mercedes’ unfortunate loss, and did not let Toto Wolff’s decision hamper this significant achievement. “The greatest driver in history moving to statistically the greatest team in history…what a moment, what a story.” Buxton added. Mercedes will obviously miss the presence of Lewis Hamilton in every way possible, as the Briton has spent the prime of his career with them, winning six world titles to show for it. Not to mention, financially the AMG Petronas might go on a bit of a downwards spiral as well. But for Lewis Hamilton, a special start to his special career is about to start soon. Also Read: List of Armand Duplantis World Records – How much does the Swede pole vaulter earn for breaking his own world record?

“I would have finished higher” : Lewis Hamilton Lewis Hamilton rues missed chances at Dutch GP The seven-time world champion had an off Dutch Grand Prix, as he was surprisingly eliminated in the Q2 itself. While the Briton had an impressive recovery drive in Zandvoort after receiving a three-place grid drop for impeding Red Bulls’ Sergio Perez in Q1, it was ultimately not enough. The Briton began the race from position 15th instead of 12th, which already got him frustrated ahead of Q2, and revealed that he had already accepted defeat. “It just went downhill like a domino effect from the moment with Checo [Perez], then the balance just got more and more snappy, more and more ‘oversteery’ – it was terrible.” Lewis Hamilton before being hit with the grid penalty. “It’s definitely very, very frustrating, naturally, but it is what it is. It’s kind of the weekend done, and I’ll have to move on to next week [at Monza].” the Briton added. The 39-year-old started off on the soft tyre to make up early ground, and then switched back to the hard ones, before taking another set of softs during pit stop. Hamilton also almost caught on his fellow teammate George Russell, but in the end had to settle for an unfortunate eighth position. “We planned to do a two stop and started on the soft, it was a very good tyre, the soft tyre felt better than the medium tyre on practice day. The hard tyre was fairly decent, it was really difficult to see what I needed to do whether to push – I was on a two – so trying to use up the tyre but wasn’t sure whether or not we might go for a one.” the veteran explained. “I had a bit of a lock up which meant I had to stay on my strategy. Probably if I’d have done one stop I might have managed it a bit better, maybe finish one place ahead,” Hamilton added. Lewis Hamilton blames his qualification error for poor weekend After receiving the penalty for impeding Sergio Perez, the Briton did not give up and had some pretty strong runs which helped him get back up to the eighth spot. He was often the fastest driver on track and also revealed his recovery drive to be ‘fun’. “If I just qualified like I should’ve qualified and if I didn’t have a problem in qualifying, then yeah [I would have finished higher], I think I had the pace today to easily, definitely [finish] in the top 5. If I started fourth for example then I would’ve finished at least fourth.” The 39-year-old told the media present at the track. After a harsh yet disappointing race where the veteran showed a lot of promise, he will have to move on and display his recently improved performances with the resurged AMG Petronas next week in the Italian Grand Prix held in Monza, in the hope to bounce back to pole positions. Also Read: “Rwanda is one of my favorite places I’ve been to” : Lewis Hamilton proposes a new circuit for F1 Grand Prix

“Rwanda is one of my favorite places I’ve been to” : Lewis Hamilton proposes a new circuit for F1 Grand Prix Throughout the seven-time world champion’s illustrious career, he has been a vocal advocate for his support to Africa, and the longing to reconnect with his African roots. Lewis Hamilton often takes trips to Africa which reflects his interests outside the world of F1, such as his deep understanding for the sustainability of the environment. Africa has had a rich history of motorsport, and the Briton has been doing the needful and being the voice of reason to bring the F1 back there as soon as possible. Lewis Hamilton has also mainly mentioned South Africa to be the first host of an African Grand Prix in the near future. Most recently, Rwanda has expressed the desire to the F1 officials on hosting the first African Grand Prix after more than three decades. The official meeting will take place in September, as this can be a huge turning point in African motorsport history. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has also mentioned for it to be a ‘good plan’. Lewis Hamilton expresses his thoughts over potential Grand Prix in Africa ahead of the Dutch GP It is no secret that Lewis Hamilton has a multifaceted connection to Africa, from his personal heritage and conservational efforts to social justice and equality. The Briton once again expressed his desire about hosting a Grand Prix in Africa, ahead of the upcoming Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. “We can’t be adding races in other locations and continue to ignore Africa, which the rest of the world takes from — no one gives anything to Africa. “I think having a Grand Prix there would really highlight how great the place is and bring in tourism … so why are we not on that continent? The current excuse is maybe there’s not a track that is ready, but there is at least one track that’s ready,” said the 39-year-old (via ESPN). Lewis Hamilton also mentioned his love and respect for Rwanda, a place where he has often visited to promote environmental activism and conservation initiatives. The Briton’s efforts are widely covered by the media and draws more attention to the matter, leading to increased fan engagement. “Rwanda is one of my favourite places I’ve been to. I’ve been doing a lot of work in the background and spoken to people in Rwanda and South Africa. That’s a long project, but it’s amazing that they’re so keen to get it,” said the Briton. The last African Grand Prix was held in South Africa at the Kyalami Circuit in 1993. Although F1 has denied all rumors of an African Grand Prix for the current season, the officials have made it a ‘key target’ for a race to be held in the African continent. It can most certainly be a matter of time as to when the F1 will return to Africa, with Rwanda being the frontrunners. Also Read: “It’s going to be one hell of a second half of the season” : Lewis Hamilton has high hopes for the remainder of the year

“I don’t know how much longer I can go” : Lewis Hamilton plans on his F1 retirement It will be one of the saddest days for fans and the F1 when Sir Lewis Hamilton finally retires from the sport. The Briton has been in the Formula scene for over 17 years now, but admits that the end is near. But the 39-year-old has not shown any immediate signs of stopping. After two rough years with Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton along with his partner George Russell have shown resilience and vastly improved their performances, with the Briton clinching two grand prix victories already this season. The greatest F1 driver of all time, as widely considered, also broke the internet this year by signing with the Italian team Scuderia Ferrari and fulfilling his childhood dream of wearing the red uniform. Although he signed a lucrative multi-year deal with them, the Briton will be 40 by the time next season rolls up, and the thoughts of retirement are well considered. “I want to make sure I really max it out” : Lewis Hamilton’s reveals strategy for the final stretch of his career The seven-time world champion and fifth-longest-serving driver in F1 history reveals that he does have a plan for retirement and has also talked with many former rivals and friends about it, but for now remains determined to have a strong start with Ferrari next season. In a recent interview with US magazine Esquire, the Briton talked about many things and answered plenty of questions, from working with Brad Pitt for the latest F1 movie, pre-match rituals to his eventual retirement scene. “There are days I’m like, ‘shoot, I don’t know how much longer I can go’. There are days I’m like, ‘shoot, I’d love a break’ because you don’t get a real big break in the season like other sports. You’re not really getting a huge amount of downtime. But I do have, mentally, a plan of where I would like to extend to. I’ve just got to strategize and sequence things. Is there a time when I’m not all in, and I’m just not in love with it anymore?” said Hamilton. “That’s the moment that hopefully never happens, in the sense that I’ve fallen out of love with it. But I will know when I need to stop. I want to make sure I really max it out while I can and fully enjoy this sport I’ve done my whole life,” the Briton added. Lewis Hamilton also said it is tougher to stay fit and compete with drivers who are in their twenties and in the essential prime of their career. But despite approaching his 40s, the Briton still has a sense of responsibility on his shoulders and vows to continue his excellent form this season for a dream start at Ferrari, potentially notching another world title in the final chapter of his career. Also Read: “It’s going to be one hell of a second half of the season” : Lewis Hamilton has high hopes for the remainder of the year