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Hamilton says Williams "inspires" him
Faces 12-point deficit in title decider
As Lewis Hamilton attempts to pull off an “impossible” comeback in the Formula One title race this weekend, the British driver will take inspiration from an unlikely source.
Sunday’s “Duel in the Desert” at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will determine whether Hamilton wins his fourth world title – or Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg claims his first.
Hamilton has whittled the German’s lead to 12 points, and the defending champion has revealed that tennis superstar Serena Williams has taken a keen interest in his progress this season.
“She came out to Mexico (last month), which for me was a real honor to have someone of her power, someone who has achieved so much there,” the 31-year-old told reporters in Abu Dhabi.
“She’s really interested in cars now and she has asked me a lot of questions about how it feels and all the technical things about Formula One.”
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Hamilton’s victory at the Mexico Grand Prix cut Rosberg’s lead to 19 points, and he followed that by topping the podium in Brazil for his third successive race win.
He said he spent time with 22-time grand slam winner Williams in Los Angeles last week, while her older sibling Venus watched him win the US Grand Prix in Texas.
“We have a lot of fun when we are around each other. We’re always laughing and joking and enjoying life away from sport.”
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Both have fathers who pushed them from an early age, and rose from modest backgrounds to become multimillionaires at the top of their respective sports.
“We kind of come from similar backgrounds and have similar relationships with our parents, with the father figure being the lead,” Hamilton said.
“Growing up watching her career, I’m absolutely inspired by her and still today by her drive. She’s the greatest athlete of our generation.
“I’m absolutely mesmerized by what she has achieved and definitely inspired by her as an athlete and as a human being – so I’m trying to learn from her.”
Hamilton’s younger brother Nicolas is an aspiring driver, overcoming cerebral palsy to race in touring cars. Venus, meanwhile, has battled back from a debilitating autoimmune disorder that threatened to end her successful tennis career.
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Serena has returned to the top after serious injuries and a life-threatening blood clot on her lung in 2011.
“Every now and then she’ll (Serena) give me a bit of that magic in her words,” Hamilton said.
“Venus talks a lot about wisdom and about her growth and about the process of being a sportsman or sportswoman, so from both of them I take a lot of inspiration and admire them hugely.”
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Hamilton will need all the help he can get in Sunday’s race – Rosberg needs only to finish in the top three to clinch the championship.
The Englishman had the edge in Friday’s practice sessions, but was only 0.079 seconds faster than his rival, with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel third quickest ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo.
Hamilton said he’ll have extra motivation following the death of Aki Hintsa, his doctor at former team McLaren, at the age of 58 after a battle with cancer.
“I come here with almost double the power in the sense that I feel that I want to win this race more so for him,” the 2008 title winner said.
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“We were texting every single race through his battle and particularly the last race on Sunday. Yeah, so coming here this weekend, whilst it’s an emotional time, I’m here to try and do him proud, do well for him as he had helped prepare and the belief he had in me.”