Being a seven-time world champion, people often view Lewis Hamilton as this godly figure of F1 who is flawless on track. But even Hamilton is human to make errors and feel frustrated about it. The Briton recently opened up about his coping mechanism when he makes a mistake — not leaving his hotel room for several days — which is not the most healthy way to tackle his frustration.
Hamilton sat down to speak with a group of children as part of a feature short film. “When I made a mistake I didn’t leave my hotel room for 3 days,” Hamilton told the children.
“Yeah, I didn’t speak to a single person I didn’t say a word I was so angry at myself but then I started to learn how letting people in and being vulnerable could actually be like a superpower.”, he added.
From a very young age, Hamilton was considered a racing prodigy who would one day make a big name for himself in motorsport. And despite all the struggles he faced, whether it was financial or racial discrimination or bullying, he never stopped believing in himself and went on to win seven F1 world championships, equaling Michael Schumacher, a legend of the sport.
However, after the 2021 season, Mercedes struggled to design a car that would allow him to fight for race wins. He had to go through two full seasons without winning a race. But Hamilton eventually made a breakthrough when he won again at his home Grand Prix in Silverstone after 945 days.
To celebrate his achievements, WhatsApp made this short film where he shared the lessons he has learned throughout his career and how he kept going despite all the struggles.
He explained how he had to learn to connect with people in difficult times to find solutions. “Making those connections has been huge for me. Now when I have a difficult race, it sucks initially, but then I go out my way to connect with the team and start a conversation about what we need to do to get better,” he added.
Hamilton channeled his struggles into aggression on the track
Being a black driver in a sport dominated by white folks, Hamilton confessed he faced discrimination and bullying ever since he first made an appearance on a race track during his karting days.
However, he told the children that he believed the only way to fight through it was to make his way to the front and win. That is why, he channeled all his frustration into aggression on the race track. Hamilton said that once he started winning, he knew that it was the only way to keep people from talking down on him.
For Hamilton, racing was not only a passion, but it was an escape from all the struggles and hardships he had faced since childhood.
