This year, Formula 1 welcomed an impressive five new rookies, ranging from Mercedes talent Kimi Antonelli to Ferrari alumnus Oliver Bearman. Lewis Hamilton – the second oldest driver on the grid after Fernando Alonso – expressed his admiration for this new generation ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix. As a veteran, he reflected on his own debut year in 2007, a time when social media was barely in existence.
“The sport has become so popular in recent years, but that also makes it much more intense,” said Lewis Hamilton. “In addition, you increasingly have to deal with online hate through social media, which only increases the pressure.” Recently, Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3, and the FIA published a joint statement sharply condemning online intimidation and abuse. “It’s amazing to see how these young drivers – these young men – handle that pressure,” Hamilton praised the rookies. “They do it in a very mature way.”
Hamilton reflected on his own Formula 1 debut in 2007. The Brit remembered the pressure that came with the premier class, but emphasized that he was not yet exposed to social media at the time. “I remember how I was really thrown in at the deep end at my debut,” Hamilton explained. “And that while I didn’t yet know how to survive in this sport. At the same time, I was not aware of outside opinions,” he noted. “After all, social media did not exist yet. This generation of drivers also has to learn to deal with that.”
