Lewis Hamilton has come a very long way in life, not just in terms of the many accomplishments and accolades he’s been raking in. He’s also experienced a complete paradigm shift as regards what’s really important in life.
Lewis Hamilton and Jensen Huang present the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class By Mercedes-Benz USA
Gone are the days when Hamilton would fly around the world in his private jet or, if need be, send the plane empty to fetch his beloved Roscoe English bulldog and bring it wherever Lewis was. Gone are the supercars from his garage – not that he needs them anymore since Mercedes-Benz has been providing him with yet unreleased luxury EVs.
If only Hamilton still derived pleasure from driving.
In a new interview with The Robb Report, the Formula One champ reveals that, contrary to expectations, he hardly takes any pleasure from driving on the road. Sure, he will occasionally get behind the wheel of a car but only if it’s for short distances and no more than a few minutes’ worth of driving.
“I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed driving a car on the road, however counter-intuitive that sounds for a racing driver,” he admits. “It’s very stressful, and any journey longer than an hour or so is just dead time you don’t get back.”
This is not the type of thing you’d expect to hear from a brand ambassador – one who’s promoting the latest luxury S-Class, no less. So Hamilton is quick to add a few words of praise, which are most likely true and definitely needed, so he doesn’t risk a breach of contract.
“I have driven the new S-Class, though. What really impressed me was the ride quality. You would think that by now we have reached the very pinnacle of comfort in cars, but somehow the [Mercedes-Benz] engineers have taken it to a new level. In F1, I feel every bump, so I’m well-qualified to talk about seat comfort,” he says.
For Hamilton, though, the material things in line no longer hold the same appeal. They used to, he recalls, back in the day, but don’t anymore. These days, Hamilton knows that all these things don’t matter because “what is really valuable – and what you can never really get back – is time.”
