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“As a child, he was insulted on the go-kart track” – Toto Wolff explains why Lewis Hamilton is so mentally strong

Samriddhi Jaiswal
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"As a child, he was insulted on the go-kart track" - Toto Wolff explains why Lewis Hamilton is so mentally strong

Toto Wolff says that Lewis Hamilton has endured experiences with racism as a child and that has made him mentally resilient.

Lewis Hamilton has maintained radio silence since the final race of the Abu Dhabi GP. He lost the championship in the final lap of the season after a controversial decision of the FIA.

There have been speculations that he might not return to the sport following his heartbreak. However, Toto Wolff has said that the seven-time world champion’s mental resilience is not in question. Wolff pointed out Hamilton’s experiences with racism as an anecdote.

Wolff said, “as a child, he was insulted on the go-kart track. White parents forbade their children to interact with him; that definitely left big scars on him too.”

“For him, racing was the valve to show everyone, and it still is.”

Also Read: Renault set a timeline for returning to the top of the podium with Alpine

Lewis Hamilton is the greatest driver of all time

In the aftermath of the final race in Abu Dhabi, Wolff said that the main task is to separate the constructors’ victory from the drivers’ defeat.

“We are trying to compartmentalize the anger on the outcome of the F1 drivers’ championship and the pride and joy of having achieved something unprecedented and that definitely needs to be celebrated,” Wolff said.

Talking about whether Hamilton would return or not, Wolff said that the Briton will call upon his strength to jump back.

“I would very much hope that Lewis continues racing because he’s the greatest driver of all time. We will be working through the events over the next weeks and months. I think as a racer, his heart will say, I need to continue because he’s at the peak of his game,” he said.

“But we have to overcome the pain that was caused upon him on Sunday. He is a man with clear values, and it’s difficult to understand that that happened.”

Also Read: Max Verstappen to take part in the upcoming 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual race

About the author

Samriddhi Jaiswal

Samriddhi Jaiswal

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Samriddhi Jaiswal is an F1 editor and writer at The SportsRush. She started her career as a business journalist but soon found her calling in lights out here we go! Samriddhi has been a Ferrari fan even when her interaction with F1 was occasional. Her first real experience with the thrilling sport came when Charles Leclerc clinched his iconic victory in Spa and Monza and painted the track red. Now, a Tifosi, Samriddhi is a hardcore fan of the prancing horse and can relate to the chaos within the Italian camp and also admires Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher. Off the track, she finds her home in books and musical instruments.

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