‘I hope I inspired people today’ – Hamilton

2015 United States Grand Prix

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Lewis Hamilton says he hopes his third world championship title success has inspired his followers.

Speaking in the press conference following his United States Grand Prix victory, Hamilton recalled the early days of his racing career.

“I’m sitting here just thinking about my first British championship where my dad and I drove home singing ‘We are the Champions’. At the time, of Great Britain.”

“It’s just crazy to think now I’m a three-time Formula One world champion. I owe it all to my dad, to my family, who supported me all these years and sacrificed so much for me to be here. And the positive energy I get from my fans who travel around the world to see me. letters I get, messages.”

“I really do realise that while I get to enjoy Formula One cars this is really a platform for me to inspire young people and I hope that if there is any inspiring from today it’s just that never give up on your dreams and on your hopes and on your desires. Just keep working at it.”

Hamilton said he feared on more than one occasion he had “lost the race”.

“I’d fallen back, Nico [Rosberg] pitted under the Safety Car, and he was really quick at one stage. But I never for one second believed that I couldn’t do it.”

“And we pushed, Nico drove a fantastic race, really he has done – since I’ve been with this team he’s been driving fantastically well so mad respect for him as my team mate.”

“And otherwise, as I said, just a very humbling experience, especially to equal Ayrton Senna, who meant so much to me and still does today. So I feel very blessed today.”

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    Keith Collantine
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    35 comments on “‘I hope I inspired people today’ – Hamilton”

      1. The only disgusting thing here is your attitude.

        1. @raceprouk I don’t think you understand how the expression “the only x-thing” is supposed to work. Not what “ugh” means. Want to try again, after thinking about it?

          1. What I see from you is an expression of disgust, and a pathetic attempt to try and brush it off as something else. So I stand by what I say:

            The only disgusting thing here is your attitude.

            1. @raceprouk Repeating the same thing over and over again won’t make right.

              The only disgusting thing here is your attitude.

              I’d add your avatar to the list. Seriously…

      2. Always so humble. At least he’s learned to thank his team and family! Much like Alonso, it’s taken years and years for him to learn even the slightest modicum of humility.

    1. “And otherwise, as I said, just a very humbling experience, especially to equal Ayrton Senna, who meant so much to me and still does today. So I feel very blessed today.”

      Not quite, Lewis. You seemed to try, but didn’t quite put your closest competitor out of the race!

      Congratulations on taking the title this year, from the first race this season there was little doubt who was going to win this one.

    2. Not to detract it from him, he drove as well as he did all season long (bar Hungary), but he in part very much lucked into this. He inherited the lead nine laps to go and he had the fourth caution fall for him nicely when he was on worn rubber

      1. So pressuring on the driver in front of you into a mistake is inheriting the win?

        1. @theoddkiwi It didn’t really look like he was applying pressure at the moment, did it? Nevertheless, not making mistakes while your opponent does is not inheriting a win, is driving better plain and simple.

        2. It is. Because you rely on the other driver to make a mistake. And if he does, you get the win. Otherwise you don’t.

          @theoddkiwi

          1. Lewid was closing the gap… again, Nico new he would be on his tail within a few laps, tried too hard and made a mistake. So he was pressured into making a mistake.
            If Lewis could’nt find the pace to close the gap there would be less pressure and less likely for nico to make a mistake.
            Its like cricket when a bowler makes it hard for a batsman to score, the batsman takes a risk and gets out. The credit goes to the bowler for applying the pressure.

          2. If you guys watched the live timings, you will find out that LH put a stellar fastest lap about 1.5 secs faster than ROS and was in his DRS zone before this mistake happened. ROS lost his rear end a couple of sectors later and LH overtook him straight away.

      2. When asked ‘Is it the car?’, seven times world champion Michael Schumacher said ‘Yes.’ Yet no-one doubts how talented a driver he was.

        It’s simple: you can be the best driver in the world. But if all you have is a Manor-Marussia, you’re not gonna win anything.

        1. Your logic adds up but in reality best drivers dont end up in Manor Marussias. Go figure!

          >> If ROS is a best driver, he is in the best car the last 3 years and he still got beaten all these 3 years.
          >> ALO is in the best car/McLaren in 2007 but he still got beaten.
          >> VET i svery good as he makes the least amount of mistakes but to win a championship he needs to have the race craft. Yet to see that. WEB is no match for VET, he never go the poles nor the wins.
          >> RAI is beaten left right and centre once by MAS, then ALO and now VET

          1. @shadow Vettel does have the racecraft. Don’t judge him on 2 crashes in 2010.

          2. “>> VET i svery good as he makes the least amount of mistakes but to win a championship he needs to have the race craft. Yet to see that.”

            So you have missed the 4 seasons from 2010 – 2013 ?

          3. Well Well Well ,we all saw how good of a racecraft Lewis had in 2012 and 2011.Wow I cant forget that amazing racecraft in Monaco and Singapore.

            Webber and Alonso are the last persons you want to fight with in a race. You get drive in WEC without racecraft mate

        2. I didn’t appreciate how good Lewis was until I sat down and looked at a race from the perspective of the onboard camera, and it was pretty boring until I started to analyse the absolute top straight line speeds, and then I saw that Lewis’ absolute top straight line speed was slower than that achieved by other drivers, but he was still winning. Then I started to watch how he was using the engine, and I saw that he almost never pushed the engine above 11500 RPM, which a lot of other drivers did. So, he pushed the engine less than other drivers, his top speed was lower … yet he won the race! How could that be? The reason he won is his average speed was higher than what others had. So that meant he was better at going around corners than everyone else, and if he is better at going around corners than everyone else, then he is in a class of his own.

    3. But I never for one second believed that I couldn’t do it.

      I thought Nico was going to win the race, but Lewis didn’t panic and kept his head. There were 3 other races ahead at which he could win the World Championship. Then Nico made lost traction on a corner which gave Lewis the opportunity to pass him, which he did, and consequently he won.

    4. He had the best car by miles and the only driver with the machinery to truly challenge him – his team-mate – is simply not capable of matching him. Fully deserving of his third title – did the best job with the best car – but I don’t think it was ever truly in doubt from the first race really.

      Hopefully next year he’ll actually have to fight for it.

    5. Well Lewis does inspire me. Coming from a non affluent council estate background, still manage to win his Karting championship, GP Renault, GP3, GP2 championships and then 3 X F1 championships and also being first black driver to come through the ranks is incredible!! I think he is an absolutely an amazing person. He is involved in a lot of charities and tries his best to engage with people across various countries. He is an interesting person and character. It never is a dull moment with him.

      1. seriously. I agree with shadow. I have no idea what he really is like “as a person.” But his example of dedication and focus in his career is amazing and a great example. Sacrifice, grit, perseverance, optimism, this is what we look for in sport to transcend the competition and give meaning to the spectators. he is not the only driver with such a story. But today he is champion and he has the stage.

      2. Rafael Mestdag
        26th October 2015, 4:57

        As a brazilian the only thing that probably keeps me following F1 these days is Lewis Hamilton in spite of having 2 brazilians on the grid.

        The fact that Lewis is both the first and only black driver to make it into F1 AND as great as he is, that’s the main reasons why I keep watching F1 and I’ll still be doing it at least until Hamilton retires because I have a feeling that even after Mercedes loses their edge Hamilton will still find a way to keep winning and inspiring me.

        1. Rafael you really need to learn your F1 . A black guy by the name of Willy T Ribbs was the first to test drive a F1 car in 1986 then in 2005 a black driver named Narain Karthikeyan drove for Jordan. There was also Karun Chandhok who drove for HRT and Lotus.
          Your comment should be that Lewis is the first black guy to win races and WCs.

    6. You don’t inspire anyone, you’re a mediocre person and just a talented enough driver.

      1. Yep talented enough to draw with 2x WC. Talented enough to get Merc to sign him to double his teammate

      2. OmarRoncal - Go Seb!!! (@)
        26th October 2015, 1:42

        MMMmmm well Eduardo, I’m not Ham fan but I wouldn’t dare to say such a comment not having met the man in person.

      3. Say that to the children and young adults who have seen Hamilton take three World Championship titles and think ‘Y’know, that could be me one day…’

    7. Michael (@freelittlebirds)
      26th October 2015, 2:23

      What a strange race – Hamilton was faster, then he fell behind everyone almost, then Nico was faster, then the safety car took Nico’s lead away, then Nico was faster, then Lewis was faster and I think another round of that:-)

      1. Rafael Mestdag
        26th October 2015, 5:09

        I noticed that too, when Hamilton started falling back in the first quarter of the race all of a sudden I thought he had some sort of car trouble. Maybe it was the rain, Vettel is great in the rain, I never forget his win at Monza in similar conditions back in 2009(or was it in 2008?).

        1. That was 2008. Red Bull had the perfect car for those conditions though and Vettel had the better engine. After qualifying 3 Red Bull cars were in the top 4.

          Hamilton would actually have won that race, coming all the way from the back, had the weather change happened a few laps earlier.

          1. Check your facts Patricki !! Yes Vettel won at Monza but was driving for Torro Rosso in 2008 not Red Bull

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