PLAYBOY HAMILTON SHRUGS OFF HIS CRITICS
EIGHT years ago, a very different Lewis Hamilton took his maiden victory here in Canada. Managed by dad Anthony, he had no earrings, no tattoos and was in a relationship with a girl from Stevenage called Jodia Ma. Sitting by the Olympic rowing lake in Montreal this week, his giant necklace and diamond earrings sparkled. He had recently tweeted a picture of himself going down the steps of his £10million-plus Bombardier Challenger 605 private jet, wearing a fedora and long coat. He looked distinctly more Hollywood than Thruxton. Formula One has never experienced anything like it, with Bernie Ecclestone calling him the best world champion the sport has ever had. On his transformation into an outré celebrity, Hamilton said: ‘I’m definitely conscious of where I stand and the various opportunities that surround me. I’m conscious of where I am in the sport. Some things I’m doing are part of the plan and some are just things I enjoy. ‘You say jet-set life — but I don’t like to stay in the same place too long. I get bored. I’ve got people I like to work with on my music in LA, and if they can’t come to me, I’ll go to them. ‘I also know it’s a great sport and I’m able to get out there more than others. I love the sport. Other people just aren’t aware of it and how cool it is. ‘Everyone has an opinion about what I do. I think: “Just focus on your own life and don’t watch me.” People say a Formula One driver has to fit in this square box. Jim Clark, Gilles Villeneuve, all these drivers that have been great champions in years gone by, fit in that box. Just because I don’t, doesn’t mean that I’m not good for the sport.’ Still, if he doesn’t care about what people think, why did he tweet a picture of a goat wearing sunglasses with the words: ‘Current mood. #BlockinOutTheHaters’? Hamilton, in fact, got a sympathetic hearing after the fiasco of Monaco, when he came in for an unnecessary pit stop that cost him the race. He was part of that process but the team took all the blame. He seems genuinely unconcerned about the incident, which gave Rosberg his second successive victory to narrow Hamilton’s championship lead to 10 points. A winner here in Canada three times in eight seasons, he said: ‘I’ve been strong here over the years, but I can be faster. So that’s the plan this weekend.’