Hamilton able to brush aside negative emotion from past abusers
Hamilton able to brush aside negative emotion from past abusers
Lewis Hamilton has revealed to bearing no ill will towards those who once abused him and used "horrible words" as he attempted to forge his fledgling motorsport career.
Hamilton was speaking in the immediate aftermath of his record-equalling feat in securing his 91st Formula 1 victory to match the haul of Michael Schumacher that had stood for 14 years.
Asked as to what his old schoolmates, karting rivals and teachers would likely think of him now, the 35-year-old Mercedes driver is at least hoping those who previously criticised him no longer have bad feelings towards him and have since matured.
"In terms of what everyone I grew up with and people in the past are thinking, I have no idea," said Hamilton.
"I do remember very, very clearly those who threw abuse at me. Horrible words. I remember teachers who tried to stop me and get in the way. But I don’t feel any negativity towards them.
"I don’t know if today it bugs them that I am successful, or maybe they’ve grown. I’m sure they have because that’s how we are in life. I’m sure they’ve grown from their past experiences and hopefully, they’re better people.
"I hope they’re proud that they knew me, or could say they were part of it if they want to.
"For the drivers that didn’t make it, I hope they are successful in their own way and have great families and hopefully they can live vicariously through me because at the end of the day, we had the same thing in common - we all loved racing and we all shared that passion."
In the build-up to Sunday's Eifel Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, Hamilton had dismissed all talk of equalling Schumacher's record, that he had given it no thought.
It was clear, though, that after taking the chequered flag the reality was different and instead he had simply deflected the questions at the time they were asked to typically remain focused on the job at hand.
Following his achievement, Hamilton naturally found it difficult to compute, primarily recognising the journey he had been on to reach such a milestone that few believed would ever be matched.
"There’s a lot of talk in all sports of the greatest, past and present," assessed Hamilton.
"I think it’s almost impossible to compare people. I just think it’s different times, we are evolving as human beings. If you put all the top drivers that have been the most successful in the sport in the same season and the same cars, that’d be something.
"But I think there is all this talk of who is and who is not. It’s not important to me. What’s important is the journey in this time, and while I’ve been here, I’m proud of what I’ve been able to do, what I’ve navigated through.
"[I have] Definitely made a lot of mistakes but that’s life, we all do that. I think you can definitely be remembered for having the most and that would definitely be something special to have.
"But as I said, it’s the journey that we’ve done along the way, the obstacles you’ve faced. Everyone’s got a different journey and a different way of doing things. I don’t think you should knock anybody for the way they do things."
Before you go...
Masterstroke or mistake - did Ricciardo jump too soon?
Red Bull set end-of-year deadline for power unit decision
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
F1 legend issues DAMNING verdict on proposed rule change
- 43 minutes ago
Red Bull chief admits interest in poaching TWO rival stars
- 1 hour ago
Audi agree LONG-TERM F1 deal with star driver
- 2 hours ago
FIA boss HITS OUT at 'court of public opinion' after interference allegations
- 3 hours ago
F1 News Today: Horner reveals Verstappen SECRET as team reveal surprise name change
- Today 06:27
Ferrari announce DRASTIC change as Verstappen issues dire warning to bosses - GPFans F1 Recap
- Today 00:27
Related news
Hamilton sends strong message over Gaza deaths
Former F1 chief hits out at Hamilton 'EXCUSES'
Hamilton struggles pinned on Mercedes by team's OWN driver
Cocky sporting legend CHALLENGES Hamilton in stunning claim
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860