Lewis Hamilton reveals sporting LEGEND who inspires him to keep racing

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Hamilton reveals sporting LEGEND who inspires him to keep racing

The Brit is keen to remain behind the wheel once his contract expires in 2025

Janice Kusters

Sunday 10 September 2023 07:57

Lewis Hamilton sees Tom Brady as his "role model," inspiring his decision to race into his 40s, crediting him as an example of how to prolong an athlete's career.

Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion and thrice named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP), defied all odds by remaining an active NFL player until he turned 45.

The NFL quarterback retired after a 22-year career in the 2022 season, while Hamilton, now in his 16th F1 year, recently signed a two-year Mercedes extension. This secures his racing career until at least 2025, when he'll turn 40.

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Interestingly, the seven-time world champion has recently revealed his ambition to extend his racing career further in pursuit of additional championships.

According to Hamilton in a Formula1.com interview, Brady's achievements serve as his primary motivation.

“I think I look at people like Tom Brady, who’s such an incredible athlete and has shown what can be done today," Hamilton said.

“He’s the real role model, in that respect, I think for all athletes to be able to look at. “I’m really, really fortunate that I’ve been able to speak to him to understand, as well, what he’s done, what he does consistently to keep himself in shape, and he’s expressed it in the media anyway.”

An unexpected source of inspiration

While Brady is a significant source of inspiration, Hamilton also looks up to an athlete closer to home: Fernando Alonso. This revelation might astonish fans, given their intense rivalry in the past.

“It’s great seeing Fernando [still racing]," the Briton remarked. "He was here way before I was and obviously took that retirement [in 2019 and 2020] and came back and is doing an amazing job.”

Hamilton and Alonso rivalry first began when they were team-mates in 2007

Alonso, a two-time champion who made his Formula 1 debut in 2001, has had a remarkable career spanning various teams, including Minardi, Renault, McLaren, and Ferrari.

After a short retirement in 2019, the Spaniard made a comeback with Alpine in 2021 and is currently signed with Aston Martin on a multi-year contract.

Reflecting on his colleague's current performances on track, the Mercedes driver remarked: “It just shows that your talent never really leaves you. As long as you have that passion and that commitment you can continue… And I truly believe that with this team, we can win more world championships and watch races together, so that’s where all my energy is going.”

Hamilton's enduring quest for more championships

The seven-time world champion acknowledges the need for improvement within himself and his Mercedes team. Despite currently holding the second position in the constructors' championship, they trail Red Bull Racing by over 310 points.

Hamilton acknowledged that bridging this gap wouldn't be a straightforward endeavour.

“The goal [of winning] is simple, setting the target is simple, achieving that target is not. It’s going to take all of us pulling together", he said.

“I think every team here, and every driver, is working so hard to get on top of the aero package that they have, the team that they have, and pull everyone together… Having everyone firing on all cylinders is not easy in a large team and so that takes consistent work.

“It’s the same from the driver’s perspective, just making sure you’re performing every weekend. Even though I’ve been driving and racing all these years, I still feel like I can improve each weekend.

“I think that’s what I love about this sport, it’s like… You’re never going to reach perfection, but the pursuit of perfection is one of the most exciting things about what we do.”

The prospect of another championship title on the horizon will bring great joy to Hamilton's supporters, who can now celebrate his newfound inspiration and unwavering commitment to competing in the sport for the foreseeable future.