"She is just such a warrior"- Lewis Hamilton on his 'inspiration'
Lewis Hamilton has said that retired tennis legend Serena Williams is his inspiration.
The Mercedes driver made his debut in 2007, and from that generation of drivers, only the retiring Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso are still in the sport. Hamilton now locks horns with the likes of Max Verstappen, George Russell, Charles Leclerc, and co. The new generation of drivers is much younger than him, but Hamilton has remained one of the top drivers in the sport.
In an interview with racer.com, Hamilton explained why he's inspired by 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams and uses her as motivation to keep going. He said:
“I take a lot of inspiration from other athletes like watching Serena, seeing everything she’s gone through and in conversations, just the way she’s pulled herself back up and the great performances. … she is just such a warrior, and she’s my inspiration right now."
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The 37-year-old also talked about how mindset plays a key role in sustained success, as no athlete likes to fail. He elaborated:
“It’s really just about taking time to sit back, reflect, figure out what you can do better. As athletes, we are super-determined; we don’t like to lose; we don’t like to fail. Failure is not an option, but sometimes you do, and that’s part of the process. It’s how you then don’t beat yourself up or beat yourself down; it’s how you take it on, put it on your back and use it as experience to power forward."
Hamilton's hopes of a record eighth championship is over, as he's out of the title race this season. The Briton (168) trails leader Max Verstappen (335) ahead of the Singapore GP next weekend.
You have to be hard on yourself as a driver - Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton spoke about the mistake he made at Spa, where he crashed with Fernando Alonso. The Mercedes driver stressed the importance of being hard on himself to bring out the best in him. He said:
The drive for individuality, to set oneself apart.
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“It’s not easy. It could take you one day; it could take you five minutes; it could take you multiple days. These past few days (since his error at Spa) have not been easy, and I don’t take lightly mistakes that I make. And some people will be like, ‘well, don’t be so hard on yourself,’ but that’s how I’ve got to be the driver I am today."
He added:
“There’s so many implications of a mistake. For example, the one I made. The team, the damage, the points for the team, the morale. So I go back into the factory and I’m like, ‘I’m so sorry’. But we win and we lose as a team and we pull back together, and that’s the part I really do love. I’m not alone in the emotional roller coaster ride.
The Mercedes man's career has had the kind of global reach many others don't. It will be interesting to see how long he sticks around if he signs an extension with Mercedes.