F1 News
Hamilton wasn't prepared for the "whole circus" of Formula 1
Lewis Hamilton has been reflecting on his early days in Formula 1 and the five-time World Champion feels he was ready for the racing aspect of the sport, but the "whole circus" was something he's had to mature to.
Hamilton won his fifth World Championship in 2018, his fourth with Mercedes and ten years after he won his first with McLaren. The only blemish on his Mercedes career is the 2016 title race which saw him beaten by his teammate Nico Rosberg. Since then the Brit has been utterly dominant beating Sebastian Vettel to the last two titles.
Hamilton has shown no signs of letting up as he continues to lead the 2019 championship with five race wins, but he has come along way since making his debut all the way back in 2007 and admitted he wasn't really ready for everything that followed.
"I was 22 years old at the time and basically a child," Hamilton said as quoted by Motorsport Total.
"Racing was the only thing I was prepared for and I was not prepared for the whole circus.
"I've done it all through trial and error, I've made some mistakes over the years.
"I'm not perfect, but I've grown a lot with the sport and the sport has given meaning to my life, so I'm forever grateful to him."