Lewis Hamilton did not get to celebrate his seventh world championship – one of his most memorable life moments to the fullest. The Briton did not get to party like he usually would have as it was the year 2020, the year of the pandemic. Amid the lockdown restrictions, Hamilton celebrated his record-equaling feat in a lone-wolf manner. He also admitted that former champion James Hunt would be rolling in his grave if he knew how the #44 driver celebrated.
In an interview with The Project, the interviewer quipped this one-liner about how James Hunt may not have liked to celebrate in such a sedate manner. Hamilton chuckled at this and highlighted how he too hoped it would have been a “different celebration”.
Hamilton mentioned that he rewatched the 2020 Turkish GP race and had Minestrone soup to relive his moment of glory. Following this, the British champion took his dog, Roscoe, on a walk. However, the Mercedes driver also cited his hope to celebrate with his family during Christmas of 2020.
For some context, James Hunt was another British champion, who raced in F1 during the 1970s. Hunt had a reputation for partying and celebrating beyond limits with his friends and loved ones. He won the F1 championship in 1976 following a close nail-biting season against Niki Lauda.
While Lauda was a meticulous and focused racer, Hunt was his exact antithesis. The former McLaren driver had an easygoing attitude and enjoyed racing and life on the edge. After winning his 1976 title, Hunt partied and celebrated non-stop throughout the winter break.
His rivalry with Lauda was one of F1’s greatest and most memorable ones. The duo had been fighting ever since Formula 3 and eventually went head-to-head during the ’76 season for the championship. Hunt prematurely passed away in 1993 due to a heart attack at the age of 45.
When Niki Lauda compared Lewis Hamilton to James Hunt?
Lewis Hamilton has a similar charismatic personality to James Hunt, according to Niki Lauda. The three-time F1 champion once compared the two Britons and explained how both of them can be deemed as some of the greatest gifted talents in F1’s history.
Lauda also drew comparisons between himself and Nico Rosberg as to how both of them were very meticulous and focused on winning the championship. On the other hand, Hunt and Hamilton relied on their talent and natural skills to just go out there and win races, besides enjoying their off-track lives too.
However, in contrast to Hunt, Hamilton has won more than just one world title. However, since his 2020 championship, which equaled the championship record with Michael Schumacher, the 39-year-old has only suffered heartbreaks and setbacks.
Hence, there is a chance that his 2020 celebrations were the last time he celebrated a championship. The 2021 title loss was a huge blow to Hamilton psychologically. Ever since then, the #44 driver has not been in contention for the F1 title in the past two years.
Despite the massive setback, the man from Stevenage has not given up hopes of winning a record eighth world title. With a contract extension at Mercedes till 2025, Hamilton hopes to achieve the elusive feat and redeem his credentials as one of the GOATs of F1.
