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Lewis Hamilton has revealed the two athletes that have inspired him to keep racing with Mercedes into his 40s.
Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso have both been in F1 for years, however, Hamilton wants to replicate Alonso by competing into his 40s. Image Credit: SkySports.comLewis Hamilton has revealed that fellow F1 driver, Fernando Alonso, has acted as an inspiration for him to keep racing. Hamilton has also named NFL legend Tom Brady as another athlete who’s inspired him to ‘stay in the game’.
These comments, shared by Formula1.com, follow the announcement that Hamilton will be with Mercedes until 2025. The two-year contract extension means that the seven-time world champion will officially be racing in his 40s.
Alonso, currently 42, is racing better than he has in recent memory. The Spaniard is currently third in the drivers championship, six points above Hamilton, and has found a new lease of life with Aston Martin. Tom Brady, despite competing in a completely different sport, stayed playing in the NFL until he was 45 years old, a feat that amazed many.
Success in your 40s
Hamilton backed up his comments on Alonso and Brady by mentioning the amazing accomplishments that both have achieved while being in their 40s.
On the topic of Brady, Hamilton speaks about how he has taken advice from Brady.
“I think I look at people like Tom Brady, who’s such an incredible athlete and has shown what can be done today. He’s the real role model, in that respect, I think for all athletes to be able to look at.”
“I’m really, really fortunate that I’ve been able to speak to him to understand, as well, what he’s done, what he does consistently to keep himself in shape.”
Mentioning Alonso, Hamilton speaks about how talented racing drivers never really ‘lose their talent. ’
“It’s great seeing Fernando. He was here way before I was and obviously took that retirement [in 2019 and 2020] and came back and is doing an amazing job.”
“It just shows that your talent never really leaves you”
Hamilton on his future
In his comments, Hamilton spoke about the future. Having taken inspiration from these athletes, Lewis shared that if he can keep in shape and keep focused, with the same level of passion, he will be targeting more championships.
“As long as you have that passion and that commitment you can continue. I truly believe that with this team, we can win more world championships and watch races together. That’s where all my energy is going.”
It seems that Hamilton will be staying in the sport for many years to come. However, will he be able to replicate his past successes in the future?
Feature Image Credit: Getty Images/ Peter Fox
