The Profile

Lewis Hamilton: ‘He operates at a level above Formula 1’

The seven-time F1 world champion’s future in the cockpit may be uncertain – but regardless of the number of titles he has racked up when he retires, he’ll still have traction on the public stage

Louis Hamilton: the seven-time Formula 1 world champion is in the news after his Mercedes team effectively acknowledged this was a lost season following the first race of the campaign. Illustration: Peter Hanan

This is not normal. Lewis Hamilton, open as he has long been with his feelings, is rarely publicly critical of his Mercedes team. Yet last week, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion left no doubt about his feelings regarding what is going wrong with his car.

“I’ve driven so many cars in my life. I know what a car needs. I know what a car doesn’t need,” Hamilton told the BBC’s Chequered Flag podcast. “It’s ...