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Lewis Hamilton Once Found Himself in a Tough Spot About His F1 Career After His Girlfriend Moved to England Just for Him

Somin Bhattacharjee
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Lewis Hamilton Once Found Himself in a Tough Spot About His F1 Career After His Girlfriend Moved to England Just for Him

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.

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.

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.

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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