Lewis Hamilton reveals he used to fake illness to miss F1 ‘test days’

Lewis Hamilton has been competing in F1 since 2007.

Lewis Hamilton reveals he used to fake illness to miss F1 ‘test days’

Lewis Hamilton and James Allison (Via IMAGO)

Lewis Hamilton, the Mercedes F1 driver, has been competing at the pinnacle of motor racing since 2007. Over the years, he has very rarely missed an event but with sport currently at a halt, he had admitted that in the past, he used to trick his team to not show up during F1 testing days.

Lewis Hamilton is one of the most renowned figures in F1 and has a fanbase that is spread all over the world. While he is an out-and-out professional, he has never really been a fan of the testing that takes place ahead of every season of the sport. Testing could vary between 2-3 days.

Recently while talking about a time when George Russell told Toto Wolff that he was sick, Hamilton has reminisced how he used to trick his team before testing. He said as reported by Soymotor;

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When Toto said during our visit to the factory that George was sick, I started to doubt it. It's something I've done in the past to miss test days, as it's not something I like. So when I heard that, I thought, 'ah, he's surpassed me, he's gone to another level.

Looking at the reaction of the former 7-time world champion, it is quite clear that he’s had a private laugh about how he also used to play the sick car ahead of F1 testing. However, in a fun way has indicated that his younger teammate has surpassed him by a country mile.

Would Lewis Hamilton ever be able to win an eighth-world title?

While Lewis Hamilton has recently taken the time to shed light on his testing antics, one of his main reasons for continuing at the pinnacle of motor racing is to secure a record-breaking eighth world title. Hamilton is currently tied with F1 legend, Michael Schumacher on seven titles.

Lewis Hamilton (Credits: racingnews365)
Lewis Hamilton (Credits: racingnews365)

However, keeping in view his age(38) and how much the Mercedes F1 team has struggled under the current set of regulations, there are no guarantees whether Hamilton would ever be able to fight for the world title again. His new deal with the team will run out at the end of the 2025 season.

Lewis Hamilton is considered by many as the best driver to ever step foot into the world of the pinnacle of motor racing. He has been a big pillar of the sport and has done a lot to make it the global phenomenon it has become today. But, despite all this, an eighth-world title might just miss his grasp considering the level of competition in F1.

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