Role model Lewis Hamilton thriving on "craziness" and "tragedies" - Mercedes boss Wolff

Mercedes

Role model Hamilton thriving on "craziness" and "tragedies" - Wolff

Hamilton dedicated his Belgian GP pole position to Chadwick Boseman

Ian Parkes

Sunday 30 August 2020 09:15

Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff believes Lewis Hamilton's current performance levels are being aided in part by adversity.

Since an out-of-sorts performance in the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix, Hamilton has barely put a wheel out of place in his bid to equal Michael Schumacher's record title haul of seven.

The 35-year-old has not only been stirred by the 'Black Lives Matter' campaign, and driven to deliver greater equality and diversity in Formula 1, but following another stunning pole performance for the Belgian Grand Prix, he dedicated it to the Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman following the actor's untimely death.

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Determining what has been behind Hamilton's displays over the past couple of months, Wolff said: "I think that like many others, high-performance people function well on adversity.

"Why I can relate to it is because - we have discussed it - the more that gets thrown at you, the better you get. And we definitely see that with Lewis this season.

"With all the craziness that happens in the world and all these tragedies, he has certainly been driven by these circumstances to provide his answers to what’s happening in the world."

It was suggested to Wolff that there were certain parallels between Hamilton, as F1's first black driver and champion, and Boseman who was a hero in many respects for an under-represented group.

Wolff certainly believes Hamilton is also fuelled by what he can achieve by serving as an example to others.

"I think that’s the reason we speak of minorities," acknowledged Wolff. "It’s just a smaller group of individuals in the world and it’s much more difficult to really make your way up to the top, whether it’s an actor, a sports person, a politician or an entrepreneur.

"I think definitely Lewis has the possibility of becoming the greatest champion in Formula 1, and I think he’s very much carrying that energy and also the responsibility that he wants to continue to be a role model and an inspiration to many other people who look up to him."

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