“If You Look at Tom Brady”: Lewis Hamilton Once Named LeBron James and NFL Legend as His Inspiration for Elongating F1 Career

At 39 years of age, F1 driver Lewis Hamilton remains a huge example of sustaining high-level driving maneuvers for 17 years. However, in 2023, many wrote him off, murmurs even suggesting that his F1 career is going to be over soon. The driver dusted off such talks and suggested that he still had a lot of fuel left in the tank, more so because he had drawn motivation from the two legends of longevity.

NFL’s Tom Brady and the NBA’s LeBron James are prime examples of soaking in criticism and coming through strong. Their influence extends way beyond their core sports. Lewis Hamilton lauded the neverending prime of these two athletes, as he expressed that he draws a lot of energy from these stalwarts.

In a 2023 ESPN interview, during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, Hamilton reiterated that he wasn’t done yet. He expressed, “I don’t plan on stopping any time soon. I’m not at the end of my career, I’m not in the downhill slope of my career. I’m in my prime.”

Then he alluded to how King James and Brady serve as the model of resilience. He stated,

“If you look at LeBron [James] if you look at Tom Brady, they have shown that it can be sustained for as long as you are dedicated enough to put the energy and time in.”

Later in the interview, he was also asked about his future with McLaren. To which Hamilton replied, “I’d be lying if I said I’d never thought about ending my career anywhere else.” However, he also conveyed, “I started at McLaren, I’d like to think I’ll always be a part of the McLaren family.” A year down the line, Hamilton is set to change his allegiance as his move to Ferrari has brought astonishment.

Lewis Hamilton to join Ferrari

It’s official now! Lewis Hamilton is going to switch from McLaren to Ferrari in 2025. If Carlos Sainz doesn’t extend his Ferrari contract after 2024 then Hamilton emerges as the replacement. He will accompany Charles Leclerc in the Scuderia Ferrari team. This move tilts the scale as Hamilton’s exclusion will hurt the Mercedes. 

BREAKING: Lewis Hamilton will join Ferrari for the 2025 season pic.twitter.com/ax5L8lUVAL

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) February 1, 2024

On August 31, 2023, Hamilton signed a two-year contract extension that is going to last till 2025. However, now the driver is shifting the shape of the F1 course. The turn of events does look peculiar to what happened with the former New England Patriots quarterback in the later years of his career when he joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looking for one more ring. 

It is also akin to how LeBron James shifted the landscape of the NBA when he went from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the brighter lights of the Los Angeles Lakers. James wanted the Lakers to use all their sway in the league as a big market to lure players who aid him in his quest for his fourth title.

The Lakers did get Anthony Davis for him quickly while also bringing in a host of talented veterans. This helped him nab his fourth ring in 2020. Now, with Hamilton embarking on his quest with Ferrari in 2025, he’d expect the Scuderia Ferrari team to provide technical assistance and support that can lift him back to the pole position.