Lewis Hamilton has had several famous girlfriends in the past, some of whom were big celebrities. However, his first girlfriend, Jodia Ma, was the one who saw him rise to stardom. Regardless, as he reveals in his book Lewis Hamilton: My Story, he found himself in a tough spot, when his rise to fame eventually led to their break up.
Hamilton, one of the most talented drivers in the junior racing circuit, had to spend a lot of time away from home. Understandably, this gave him very little time to focus on his personal life. Other people of his age were enjoying a blooming social life, but to realize his dream of making it big in F1, Hamilton had to make a lot of sacrifices.
One of the things that suffered the most was his relationship with his first girlfriend, Jodia Ma. Hamilton started dating her in 2003. She was beside the young Briton as he rose through the ranks to establish himself as a star of the future. They seemed to have a very good relationship, even though Ma stayed in the United States of America for a long time. However, problems began to arise when Ma returned to the UK, to spend more time with Hamilton.
Lewis Hamilton felt burdened because of his girlfriend
Even though Hamilton loved Jodia Ma, his primary focus at the time was his racing career. When Ma was in the US, Hamilton used to make visits across the pond, to spend time with her and her family. However, other than her education, the only other reason why his partner moved to England was him. This put a huge burden on Hamilton’s shoulders.
Hamilton struggled with commitment issues, as he revealed in his book because the relationship became too serious for his liking. “I was beginning to worry about how I could share my time between the two things I loved,” he wrote.
Jodia Ma and Lewis Hamilton (2007) pic.twitter.com/6R18FslPSe
— Automobile-Kunst (@John_Stickel) October 28, 2016
He told his girlfriend that he would always put his racing career first. In the end, one of them had to suffer, and unfortunately, it was ‘Jo’ as Hamilton affectionately refers to Jodia Ma as.
It came to a point where Hamilton’s relationship with Ma couldn’t continue, and they had no choice other than being mature about it.
Hamilton laments not meeting Jodia Ma at the right time
Hamilton describes their break-up as an ‘incredibly tough’ time for both of them. Still, their maturity and personal ambitions helped them get over it. Hamilton focused on his racing career, made it to F1, and became one of the greatest of all time. Ma too, focused on her own goals in her respective field.
Nevertheless, Hamilton looks back on his time spent with Ma with great affection. In fact, he even wonders if he met someone as wonderful as her at the wrong time.
“Maybe it was just a wrong time to meet such a fantastic lady and her family,” he added.
LEWIS HAMILTON IS A SEVEN TIME WORLD CHAMPION!#TurkishGP 🇹🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/gOGfeEZxp8
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 15, 2020
Today, Lewis Hamilton is one of the most recognizable celebrities in the world. The seven-time world champion, however, still shares a great friendship with Jodia Ma.