Lewis Hamilton once revealed he was inspired by Tom Brady and LeBron James to not give up on his career despite continued failures. Here is what the F1 driver said.
Lack of performance from Mercedes before the Formula One side recently returned to its winning ways at the British Grand Prix sparked concerns over Lewis Hamilton’s career last year. Fans began questioning the 39-year-old following Red Bull and Max Verstappen’s continued domination.
While everyone thought it was the end, the seven-time F1 World Champion shut down all the rumors that he won’t be giving up; inspired by sporting legends like Tom Brady and LeBron James.
Lewis Hamilton once revealed he was inspired by Tom Brady and LeBron James to extend his F1 career
During an interview at Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku with ESPN last year, Lewis Hamilton told, that he wasn’t planning on “stopping any time soon.”
The Brtisher, who has now switched to Ferrari for next season further said that he wasn’t at the end of his career. “I’m not in the downhill slope of my career. I’m in my prime,” he said.
The 39-year-old acknowledged that the longevity of his career depends upon how hard he works to keep himself performing at a high level “in terms of physical and mental capability.”
The Mercedes driver, who dominated the sport for seven years continued, “”If you look at LeBron [James], if you look at Tom Brady, they have shown that it can be sustained for as long as you are dedicated enough to put the energy and time in.”
Both James and Brady are known for their longevity in sports who performed at the highest level for years. While the Lakers’ star has entered his 21st season in basketball, the former New England Patriots star, Brady announced his retirement from the NFL last year after 23 long seasons.
Meanwhile, Mercedes was able to only win one race in 2023 through Hamilton’s teammate George Russell. The Briton failed to win a single race for the second consecutive year.
The Briton, who was born in England, made sure to shut down the retirement rumors stating that his side’s bad form couldn’t compel him to give up. Instead, he was planning to “drive” and motivate himself to become “better.”
Lewis Hamilton back on winning ways; doubted if he was “good enough”
Lewis Hamilton recently earned his first Formula 1 victory at home and it was his first since 2021. The upcoming Ferrari driver ended a three year drought during a dramatic, British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
It wasn’t just his first win since two and half years ago in Saudi Arabia but the legendary driver also made a record ninth victory at a single Grand Prix venue.
As reported by the Formula 1 site, the achievement made him emotional as he couldn’t “stop crying.” Hamilton, who holds multiple records, recalled his hard work stating how he tried to “fight, to train” and put his “mind to the task,” so that he could “work as hard as I can with this amazing team.”
Hamilton went on to say that it’s hard for anyone during their tough time, however what’s more important is to “just how you continue to get up, and you’ve got to continue to dig deep even when you feel like you’re at the bottom of the barrel.”
The British driver told the aforementioned outlet that there was a time when he thought he wasn’t good enough. Hamilton even doubted his comeback, however, when he saw his team and the people surrounding him “putting in the effort,” he was inspired to not give up.