The Divisiveness of Lewis Hamilton

Legend: a very famous person, especially in a particular field, who is admired by other people.
-Oxford Learner’s Dictionary

Formula One creates many a legend. Drivers whose names are engraved in racing history. Today when people talk about the greats of the sport, they mention drivers they probably never saw racing—Juan Fangio and Alberto Ascari in the ’50s, and Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart in the ’60s. Few under 40 would’ve seen Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna battle on track live, but they know the names. In recent history, it’s the most successful driver of all time, Michael Schumacher, whose name is synonymous with F1. And right now we’re watching the script of a legend play out as Lewis Hamilton looks to break records this season. So why does admiration for Hamilton cause contempt for so many?

Lewis Hamilton divides opinion more than any driver I’ve seen race. He’s received ‘boos’ from fans at multiple tracks, his name causes arguments in the comment sections of articles about him, and he was the victim of public racist abuse early in his career. Hamilton also packs grandstands, has 17m followers on Instagram, and is a brand of his own making. The six-time world champion seems to have a love-hate relationship with fans, but a specific reason for why is unclear.

To those who love him, it’s a much simpler explanation. He is ridiculously successful, both on the track and as a person. To be inspired by somebody who excels at what they do is nothing new, and Hamilton transcends most at driving cars. A jet-set lifestyle across the globe is part of what being an F1 driver is all about. Yet Lewis turns the dial to 11 and adds in celebrity friends, luxury living, and loud designer clothes all on show in his open social media life. He’s flaunting what his talent has earned him, and he has every right.

But both his racing and lifestyle are what seem to rile his detractors up the most. Any sports fan understandably wants their sport to be competitive, unpredictable, and exciting. F1 has been anything but that for the past six years. It’s almost an expectation that Hamilton will win the title even at pre-season testing, so high is the bar that the Mercedes team has operated on since 2014. People switch off, and of those who don’t, many decide the victories are thanks to the car, not the driver. Fans threw the same criticisms at Schumacher in the early 2000s too. Dominance begets disdain it seems.

Jealousy is a very human trait, and few of us wouldn’t envy what Hamilton has. Mansion living, partying with celebrities, effectively infinite amount of money, and time to pursue your projects (with only working out and driving fast cars as hurdles in the way). If it weren’t for his skill at driving cars, he’d be a Kardashianesque influencer. And perhaps that’s why those who aren’t F1 fans deride him. He’s a man who lives the Hollywood life and ‘just’ drives cars on weekends. If Hamilton were a gifted golfer instead, with every other element of his life the same, I’d probably side with the detractors.

I am a racing fan, though, and I appreciate the nuance of just how gifted Hamilton is when I watch him speed around a circuit and the intelligence of his racecraft. Fernando Alonso showed it, Max Verstappen shows it, as does, or perhaps did, Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel. It’s why I don’t overly care how these men live their lives outside the sport. Hamilton can dress how he wants and eat what he wants when he drives as he does. But again, even fellow fans can’t stand the personality that comes with the driving gift.