Hamilton hits back at opinions of ‘older drivers who didn’t achieve much’

18:10, 10 Nov

byDrew Murphy

Lewis Hamilton discussed how he makes it his mission to support young drivers and condemns the negativity from older drivers.

“You know, you hear so many of these negative things coming from these older guys, these older drivers that more often than not, didn’t achieve much as it is."

- Sir Lewis Hamilton

Formula 1 has seen six drivers make their full-season debuts, including Kimi Antonelli, Isack Hadjar, Gabriel Bortoleto, Oliver Bearman, Liam Lawson, and Franco Colapinto.

Only 20 (soon to be 22) drivers get to race in the pinnacle of motorsport, and with that, the flaws get highlighted more than the successes.

Lewis Hamilton. Photo: RacePictures

The criticism does not just come from social media fans and the media; it is also from past and present drivers.

Hamilton has expressed his determination not to become one of those drivers.

The seven-time world champion spoke to the media about this year’s rookie class in Brazil.

He said: “It’s great to see young talent coming through.

“You know, I remember getting here in 2007 and being one of them.

“It’s an amazing experience, but before you get here, you have all these preconceived ideas of what it would be like and most often, it kind of doesn’t equal to what you amounted it to be.

“Maybe the driving does, but then there’s all the other things that are around, and the pressure is hugely high, and these youngsters are getting bombarded with questions and obviously the social media.

“But I think they’ve all been handling it really, really well.

Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri walk through the F1 paddock in Baku. Photo: Race Pictures

“I’ve really always wanted to be a driver that’s… even when I leave here, I will always be someone that’s supporting the young, the youth.

“You know, you hear so many of these negative things coming from these older guys, these older drivers that more often than not, didn’t achieve much as it is.

“And I think I just love to see these guys that, just keeping their heads down, doing it with a smile and doing what they love and succeeding. So I’m as excited to see the progression of their careers.”

This is not the first time Hamilton has spoken about old F1 drivers and personalities who criticise from the sidelines.

In response to his move to Ferrari, he told Time Magazine: “I’ve always welcomed the negativity.

“I never, ever reply to any of the older, ultimately, white men who have commented on my career and what they think I should be doing.

"How you show up, how you present yourself, how you perform slowly dispels that.”

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