Hamilton refuses to be 'side-tracked' by Ecclestone jibes

Lewis Hamilton has dismissed comments from former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone who has claimed the seven-time champion to be "not quite the fighter he was" ahead of the British Grand Prix.

Hamilton trails Max Verstappen by 32 points after nine grands prix, with Mercedes 44 adrift of Red Bull in the constructors' championships.

That is on the back of his bleakest period in a single season since 2013 as he has failed to score a win or a pole position in the past five races which have only yielded two podiums.

Asked for a response to Ecclestone's comments, Hamilton said: “I don’t really have a response. I actually wasn’t aware of it until I arrived for the weekend.

"But honestly, this has been such an interesting week. We’ve had the football, which was exciting for one moment and then obviously quite difficult afterwards, and there has been amazing support, positivity I would say, since."

On Tuesday morning, 'The Hamilton Commission' published a 179-page report on the lack of diversity in motorsport, identifying key roadblocks to preventing young people from ethnic backgrounds from pursuing careers in STEM subjects.

Hamilton added: “Obviously, with this Commission, I have just been focused on that. No one is side-tracking me.

“I’m definitely not the driver I was when I started. I think I’m better and I know myself way more than I ever did.”

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