“Don’t Take Things Too Seriously”: Lewis Hamilton Reveals What He Really Wants to Tell His Younger Self

Lewis Hamilton is in the 17th season of his Formula 1 career, and damn, what a career it has been. In over 313 race starts, the Briton has won 103 races and the same number of pole positions and secured seven championships to decorate his name further.

Statistically, it’s the most glorious career in the sport so far, which will take a while for anyone to overtake.  But all of that didn’t come easy for Hamilton, who came from a comparatively less privileged household.

That’s why the 38-year-old, back in his younger days, was much more conscious about his performances in the junior competitions. And seeing back, Hamilton thinks he could have taken things a bit lighter.

 

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Lewis Hamilton advises his younger self

When he was yet to debut in F1, he won comprehensively everywhere, which added to his reputation. But he reveals that most of the time, he performed so well, thinking McLaren could drop him for any poor performance. Driven by that, he was always uptight before going for a race.

“I think if I could go back and talk to my younger self, it would be don’t take things too seriously or take yourself too seriously,” said Hamilton to Fox Sports Australia. “I got so caught up in the intensity of wanting to be perfect in racing. I completely secluded myself from fun things in life.”

Hamilton adds that he wants to tell his younger self to have some fun on his journey. The Mercedes star then justifies his mentality back then, thinking that everything he had could be taken away swiftly. He also thinks it wasn’t a bad thing as it keeps one on their toes.

Tough days for Hamilton

After a very long time, Hamilton is seeing a lean patch in his F1 career. Last year, he didn’t even win a race, which was new to his career, and even this year, the hopes are not very high from his W14.

Despite that, Hamilton seems calmer than what would have been expected from his former self. Despite doubts, he has reiterated his loyalty towards Mercedes and wants to finish his career there.

He is also determined to bring his team back to winning ways. But surely. this year, there is no chance Mercedes would be able to challenge Red Bull, as the latter’s pace is massive compared to the Silver Arrows.

About the author

Tanish Chachra

Tanish Chachra is the Motorsport editor at The SportsRush. He saw his first race when F1 visited India in 2011, and since then, his romance with the sport has been seasonal until he took up this role in 2020. Reigniting F1's coverage on this site, Tanish has fallen in love with the sport all over again. He loves Kimi Raikkonen and sees a future world champion in Oscar Piastri. Away from us, he loves to snuggle inside his books.

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