The seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton is a businessman, building a career beyond driving, as well as being an excellent Formula One driver. A member of several associations, businesses and promotional obligations away from Mercedes, the British driver has flown all over the world and even done so before Grand Prix races. In 2018, Niki Lauda, three-time Formula 1 world champion, informed Toto Wolff, director of the Mercedes team, of this attitude and workload.

The respect between the two men has not yet died down. After Niki Lauda’s death, Lewis Hamilton said in a video: “Niki convinced me to join a team that had the potential to be successful at the time. I am grateful to him and I will love Niki forever. He is on my mind at every race.” But in 2018, one episode about Hamilton unnerved Niki Lauda.

 

“How can you allow that?”

Toto Wolff recalls an anecdote about these many trips by Lewis Hamilton, in remarks reported by motorsport.com:

“I remember Niki telling me in Singapore, before he did that amazing performance (a magnificent pole position), that Lewis had basically been around the world.

“He had been to Shanghai to launch his fashion collection, then to Los Angeles, New York, London, then Singapore. Niki said to me, ‘How can you allow this?’ I said, ‘I’ll wait and see.

“When I met Lewis, I had the same feeling. I wondered how this was possible…”

 

 

“He’s a real phenomenon”

Toto Wolff continues:

“He’s great because every time we fly together, he gets on the plane and sleeps, whether it’s day or night. Whatever the situation, he is very good at regenerating.

“It’s a real phenomenon. But we’re all different in the way we relax, the way we regenerate when we travel, the way we get different impulses from different countries, roles or jobs.

“It’s something that helps him regenerate, whereas another person needs to be at home and lie on the sofa, so we’re all different in that respect.”

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