Hamilton: 'People sometimes think Formula 1 is like NASCAR'

If there is one thing one sees a lot in the media lately, it is how popular Formula 1 has become in the United States. Many team bosses and drivers have had their say on this, and Lewis Hamilton now does so too in an interview with Mercedes sponsor UBS.

Daniel Ricciardo was heard on a US talk show talking about the success of Netflix hit series Drive to Survive. Indeed, it has played a major role in the sport's rise in popularity in the United States. Hamilton also addresses this:

“It really skyrocketed the sport into a different realm. Now, all of a sudden, you got all these amazing sporting fans in the United States and [they] are now starting to catch on and get excited about it. That’s refreshing for me.”

'Formula 1, is that something like NASCAR?'

The seven-time world champion laughingly explains why he also finds it refreshing for another reason. After all, Americans now understand what the sport actually is. In the past, when he told people he is an F1 driver, they didn't always understand: “They’re like ‘oh, is that NASCAR?’ And I’m like ‘no, it’s so much different to NASCAR!” Hamilton does want to stress that he thinks NASCAR is a great form of racing, but it is just very different from F1.