Single Lewis Hamilton makes ‘different choice’ in ‘very difficult’ world

At a loss for how various drivers are able to balance Formula 1 and family life, Lewis Hamilton said he has made a “different choice.”

And that choice is to “maximise the time I have in Formula 1,” with complete focus on being the best version of himself in every area of the sport.

Lewis Hamilton explains single life choice

While Hamilton was in an on-and-off relationship with Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger during the earlier stages of his Formula 1 career, Hamilton’s love life has since been unclear, with plenty of media speculation on the matter.

Most recently, rumours that he was dating pop singer Raye were sent into overdrive after her latest appearance in the Ferrari garage at Silverstone.

But, in an interview with French publication RTBF, Hamilton said he has long since parked his love life, something which is “very complicated” to balance these days.

Yet, many drivers are able to do it, including reigning four-time World Champion Max Verstappen; he and long-time partner Kelly Piquet welcomed their daughter Lily into the world in May.

Hamilton has established himself as the most successful Formula 1 driver of all time, but alongside his racing career, he is also active in other sectors such as film, art, and charity work.

Put to him that it must be hard to also have a private life on the side, Hamilton replied: “Yes, it’s very complicated, especially in today’s world.

“I see other drivers and I wonder how they manage it. Some have children, are married, have girlfriends.

“I went through that when I was in my twenties. I’ve made a different choice: I’ve decided to maximise the time I have here because it’s shorter than you think. I don’t want to have any regrets, or think that I could have given more.

“Over the last ten years, I’ve concentrated on my performance. And when I retire, I’ll be able to do what I want. I’ll be able to devote myself to other things without constraints.

“As long as I’m competing, I’m concentrating on my health, my well-being, my mental health and my driving technique. I want to be the best engineer I can be and the best team-mate too. That’s my main objective: I want to win.”

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Hamilton has done plenty of that, his tally of 105 grand prix wins unmatched, while with seven World Championships to his name, he holds that record alongside Michael Schumacher.

But there remains a major goal left for Hamilton to tick in Formula 1; he wants to break the record by winning title number eight with Ferrari, having called time on his long-running Mercedes alliance to join the Scuderia from F1 2025.

“I’ve been lucky enough to win with some great teams in the past,” Hamilton continued. “With Mercedes, with McLaren, it was incredible.

“But my dream is to win a title with Ferrari. It’s been a long time since that happened.

“Ferrari has all the ingredients to win, you just have to put it all together. That’s what I’m trying to do behind the scenes with [team principal] Fred Vasseur and the team.”

Hamilton has suffered a challenging start to life as a Ferrari driver. His wait for a first podium with the team is ongoing while Charles Leclerc has pulled off that achievement five times this year, most recently at last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, where Ferrari debuted a rear suspension upgrade.

Hamilton was able to end his Belgium race weekend on a stronger note, delivering an impressive drive through the pack to finish seventh.

“Everyone in the team works so hard,” he told the media, including PlanetF1.com. “We obviously had these upgrades. Everyone back in factory works so hard. And then when you come and put a performance like I had in the past two days, it’s tough, because that’s not what the team deserves.

“It wasn’t a case of necessarily coming in and not being in the right mind through the weekend. There were a few factors that did affect particularly on the Friday, Saturday was just me, but I recovered today, so got some points, outscored Mercedes. Charles did a great job.

“Clearly, the car is improving, because Charles was able to hold on to another podium, so I’m going to try hard next week to get across.”

Focus quickly switches to this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, the final race before the summer break.

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