Seven-time World Champion Sir Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he finds driving at home “stressful.”
A Vanity Fair journalist got an exclusive insight into the Mercedes F1 Team driver’s private life, something which he usually keeps incredibly quiet about.
In the article, the journalist wrote that he got the chance to be driven around Hamilton’s home area by the driver himself; however, the British driver’s vehicle wasn’t what he was expecting.
Hamilton is known for owning a number of supercars, yet remarkably drove the journalist around in a small electric Smart car, which is of course made by Mercedes.
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During the drive, Hamilton revealed that he doesn’t enjoy driving due to finding it “stressful”.
The 37-year-old tries to keep his life as relaxed as possible, to avoid negativity.
“I just think that I find it stressful,” he says on driving.
“I try not to do things that don’t add to my life.”
Despite racing at over 200mph and being incredibly good at it, when at home, the Brit never speeds, and commonly stops for other drivers.
The extent to which Hamilton doesn’t enjoy driving was soon realised by the journalist, as Hamilton turned around and drove back home when the traffic became too much for him.
In the interview with Vanity Fair, Hamilton gave his first real in-depth insight into the 2021 season finale, where he lost the Drivers’ Championship in controversial circumstances.
Had the rules been followed by the book, then Hamilton would’ve won an eighth World Championship; however, they weren’t.
The Brit at the time was quick to say on the radio that the race had been “manipulated” by race director at the time Michael Masi.
Hamilton was later seen sitting in his car in complete disbelief.
He told Vanity Fair what was going on inside his head whilst sitting in Parc Ferme after the race.
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“I don’t know if I can really put into words the feeling that I had,” Hamilton said.
“I do remember just sitting there just in disbelief. And realising I’ve got to undo my belts, I’ve got to get out of there, I’ve got to climb out of this thing, I’ve got to find the strength. I had no strength. And it was one of the toughest moments, I would say, that I’ve had in a long, long time.”
An FIA investigation into the Grand Prix came to the decision that Masi made a “human error”, one that cost Hamilton the title of the greatest Formula 1 driver of all-time.