October 20, (THEWILL) – Lewis Hamilton has dismissed concerns about driver safety in Formula One, saying the sport should not be allowed to become “too soft”. Speaking ahead of the US Grand Prix, the seven-time world champion argued that F1 needs to remain an extreme test of endurance and fitness.
Hamilton was commenting after October’s gruelling Qatar Grand Prix, which left some drivers on the verge of collapse from heat exhaustion. His Mercedes teammate, George Russell, said the race had been beyond acceptable limits.
Yet, Hamilton insisted F1 drivers are paid highly to cope with such demands. The 38-year-old said races should not be shortened to make life easier, arguing drivers should see post-race exhaustion as a sign to train harder.
“I want it to be extreme, I want to feel pain in my body,” he stated. “We’re supposed to be elite athletes. To be elite you need to be pushing to the limit.”
The race in Qatar saw some drivers left vomiting and severely dehydrated. Williams’ Logan Sargeant felt too ill to finish. The FIA is looking into providing new guidelines for extreme heat. But Hamilton believes F1 must remain a test of endurance, saying “let’s not get too soft.”
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
