Hamilton: 2020 situation a "real test" mentally
Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton says his 2020 Formula 1 season has been a "lonely journey" in his bid to steer clear of any unnecessary COVID-19 risks.
Sergio Perez's absence from the two Silverstone races after testing positive following his trip home to Mexico has served a reminder to all drivers of the potential impact of the virus on their careers.
Hamilton has traditionally mixed his intense focus on race weekends with outside interests such as music, fashion and extensive travel, often heading to the USA in gaps between European races.
However, the busy 2020 schedule, which began with six races in seven weekends, has seen him obliged to live in a "bubble" with limited contact outside his inner circle.
He has spent much of the past two months living in his motorhome at race venues with trainer Angela Cullen.
Hamilton admits that it hasn't been easy to change his usual routine while keeping an intense focus on the title battle.
When asked by Motorsport.com about balancing his title aspirations with avoiding others, Hamilton replied: "I think it's definitely a challenge. Obviously everyone's in the same boat.
"Probably the journey of an F1 driver fighting for a championship, it can often feel like a lonely journey.
"That's magnified this year, obviously with having to limit people who are in your bubble, and of course moving around.
"What I used to do in the past was the travelling, was other things that I was finding positive. But getting to be around friends, getting to find the perfect balance this year, it's much, much harder to implement those other things that help keep a balance.
"I don't know, it's hard to put the words together. But everyone's doing it, I think. It's a real challenge, and a real test mentally for me personally. I don't know how it is for you guys, maybe you're seeing your families and stuff, but I'm not.
"But as you can see, I'm focused and as driven as ever, and it's a marathon, not a sprint.
"So I just keep my head down. I know that I'll get to enjoy myself a little bit more at the end of the year when nothing's particularly at risk, and I can hopefully be with family then."
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff suggested that Hamilton's recent focus on promoting diversity and the Black Lives Matter campaign had provided him with a useful outlet.
"Lewis has always been at his best when he fought adversity," said Wolff. "I think the Black Lives Matter movement is close to his heart, and it certainly helps in terms of motivation.
"What I've always said is I'm impressed how he develops.
"Every season, he's better in terms of his personality and as a driver, and that is really inspiring in a way that as a mid-30-year-old, he is able to show us how you can develop as a personality, and how you can improve your game, how you can have interests outside of motor racing that actually make you stronger."
Related video
Previous article
Tsunoda will be in AlphaTauri “sooner or later”, says Tost
Next article
Hulkenberg: Reserve driver role "makes little sense" to me
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Drivers | Lewis Hamilton |
| Author | Adam Cooper |
How Do Drivers Stay Fit For F1 Grand Prix?
Ronnie Peterson and Jochen Rindt Tribute
#ThinkingForward with Juan Pablo Montoya
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says Nigel Roebuck.
Verstappen exclusive: Why lack of titles won't hurt Red Bull's ace
Max Verstappen’s star quality in Formula 1 is clear. Now equipped with a Red Bull car that is, right now, the world title favourite and the experience to support his talent, could 2021 be the Dutchman’s year to topple the dominant force of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Is Formula 1 as good as it has ever been now?
For many, many years Formula 1 has strived to do and to be better on all fronts. With close competition, a growing fanbase, a stable political landscape and rules in place to encourage sustainability, 2021 is on course to provide an unexpected peak
How Williams’ new structure adheres to a growing F1 trend
Williams held out against the tide for many years but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, the age of the owner-manager is long gone
When a journeyman driver's F1 career lasted just 800m
Nikita Mazepin’s Formula 1 debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix lasted mere corners before he wiped himself out in a shunt, but his financial backing affords him a full season. Back in 1993 though, Marco Apicella was an F1 driver for just 800m before a first corner fracas ended his career. Here’s the story of his very short time at motorsport’s pinnacle.
How Raikkonen's rapid rise stalled his teammate's F1 career climb
Kimi Raikkonen's emergence as a Formula 1 star in his rookie campaign remains one of the legendary storylines from 2001, but his exploits had an unwanted impact on his Sauber teammate's own prospects. Twenty years on from his first F1 podium at the Brazilian GP, here's how Nick Heidfeld's career was chilled by the Iceman.
The nightmare timing that now hinders Mercedes
Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton took victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix despite, for a change, not having the quickest car. But any hopes of developing its W12 to surpass Red Bull's RB16B in terms of outright speed could not have come at a worse time.
How Verstappen's Bahrain mistake can only make him stronger
Max Verstappen lost out to Lewis Hamilton at the Bahrain Grand Prix by a tiny margin, slipping off the track just as victory was within his grasp. But the painful lesson from defeat can only help Verstappen come back even stronger
