Lewis Hamilton Acknowledges How His Difficult Childhood Made Him a Better Driver Today

Lewis Hamilton has often stressed that his top-most priority on the track is to stay as clean as possible. Some might reckon otherwise, considering his incident with Max Verstappen at Silverstone.

But, let’s look at the big picture; on multiple occasions this season, Hamilton toned down his aggression and let go of the throttle while battling alongside the Dutchman; For instance, Imola and Sao Paulo. When asked why, he would acknowledge it’s better to play safe against such aggressive drivers.

Interestingly, neither of his idols, Ayrton Senna or Michael Schumacher, embraced a clean career. Both possess a handful of controversial title-deciding moments throughout their F1 stints. Hence, why wouldn’t Hamilton want to follow in their footsteps? Well, let’s hear it from the 7-time world champion himself.

What did Lewis Hamilton say?

During an interview with Motorsport-Total, Hamilton revealed that his father is one of the biggest reasons why he never prefers to take the ugly route on the track. The Briton admitted that he was bullied a lot in school and on the track, which consequently pushed him to challenge the battles in the right way and not by crashing into others.

Formula One F1 – Bahrain Grand Prix – Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain – March 27, 2021 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton after qualifying in second place Pool via REUTERS/Lars Baron

“That’s how my father raised me. He said I should always give the answer on the track. I was bullied as a kid, both in school and on the track, and we wanted her the right way not by breaking down a car or by a collision. Then they cannot deny that you are better,” he said.

Can’t deny what I’ve achieved: Hamilton

The 7-time world champion opened up that, by being the cleanest driver, nobody could take away what he’s achieved in his career.

Formula One F1 – Emilia Romagna Grand Prix – Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola, Italy – April 18, 2021 Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in action during the race REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane

“When it comes to collisions, they can say, ‘Oh yeah, but that happened, that’s a tactic that driver has.’ I want to be the cleanest driver, through speed, through hard work, and determination. So in the end you can’t deny what I’ve achieved,” the Mercedes driver concluded.

Overall, despite the handful of incidents with Felipe Massa, Nico Rosberg, and Max Verstappen, Hamilton has had a scintillating Formula 1 career so far. But, let’s hear it from you; would you grade Hamilton as the cleanest driver in the history of the sport?

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