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Lewis Hamilton Responds to Criticism and Prepares for New Season with Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton has recently addressed remarks made by former Formula 1 team owner Eddie Jordan in a Time Magazine article, in which Jordan expressed concern over potential career moves for Hamilton, specifically regarding a hypothetical transfer to Ferrari.
Hamilton, who is now 40, dismissed the criticism, stating, “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.” He emphasized the importance of performance and how it can counteract criticism: “How you show up, how you present yourself, how you perform slowly dispels that.”
During a media session at pre-season testing in Bahrain, Hamilton elaborated on his approach to negativity, explaining that he channels it as motivation. He acknowledged that he had not yet read the article but noted that it was well-received. “I think, look, naturally in our sport, criticism is something that everyone receives. I think I’ve probably received a lot more of it, perhaps, throughout my career,” he commented.
He continued, “I’m just in the mindset, I keep my head down, keep doing what I’m doing. I know that I’m growing each day; I know that I’m bound to make mistakes. I’m human.” Hamilton expressed his pride in his commitment to improvement, stating, “But one thing that I’m proud of is that I have the drive, I have the focus, I’m able to admit when I’m wrong. And I know that tomorrow, I’ll work to be better.”
Hamilton reaffirmed that external comments have little impact on him: “It really doesn’t matter to me what some of the comments that have come out over my career – it’s not just been this past 12 months or so. I just use that as fuel.”
New Beginnings with Ferrari
As he acclimates to his new role with Ferrari ahead of the upcoming season, Hamilton has expressed a renewed sense of optimism. He shared that after recent challenges with his previous team, Mercedes, his experience at Ferrari has been the “most positive feeling” he has had in a long time.
Hamilton remarked, “I’ve learned that you really can’t judge too much from the first outlook. I definitely think in past years, particularly in the previous generation of car, it was much easier to know where you stood quite early on.” He added, “But I would say this is the most positive feeling that I’ve had in a long time. That’s all I can really say for now.”
Photos from the Bahrain Pre-Season Testing – Day 3
Stay tuned as Hamilton and Ferrari gear up for the start of the new season, which kicks off in just two weeks in Australia.
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