F1 Driver Lewis Hamilton Blames 'Older Ultimately White Men' For Criticism

F1 driver Lewis Hamilton stunned the racing world when he announced he was leaving the Mercedes Formula 1 team for Ferrari at the end of the 2024 season. 

It made some sense for both sides; Hamilton, who is one of the top drivers in F1 history, is a massive commercial and marketing draw. As well as still being capable of winning races in a top car, even at age 40.

For Ferrari, it made sense to add a legendary driver towards the end of his career to pair with Charles Leclerc. For Hamilton, it was a lifelong dream to drive for the most storied team in the sport. 

Still, some disagreed with it. 

Former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone and F1 team head Eddie Jordan, as two examples. Ecclestone told UK paper The Telegraph that Hamilton might have made "a lot of enemies" at Ferrari, and that he wouldn't last long in Maranello. It'd be reasonable for Hamilton to be annoyed at those remarks. But what isn't reasonable is blaming legitimate criticism on someone's race. 

"I’ve always welcomed the negativity," he said in a Time interview published this week. "I never, ever reply to any of the older, ultimately, White men who have commented on my career and what they think I should be doing. How you show up, how you present yourself, how you perform slowly dispels that."

Lewis Hamilton greets fans during his first official days as a Scuderia Ferrari F1 driver at Fiorano Circuit on January 20, 2025 in Fiorano Modenese, Italy. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Lewis Hamilton's Absurd Racial Animus

Others have said Hamilton's move was a "commercial decision," but it was "suicidal" on track for Ferrari to replace the much younger Carlos Sainz. Hamilton took offense at those remarks too.

"The old man is a state of mind," Hamilton continued. "Of course, your body ages, but I’m never going to be an old man.

"Don’t ever compare me to anybody else. I’m the first and only Black driver that’s ever been in this sport. I’m built different. I’ve been through a lot. I’ve had my own journey.

"You can’t compare me to another 40-year-old, past or present, F1 driver in history because they are nothing like me.

"I’m hungry, driven, don’t have a wife and kids. I’m focused on one thing and that’s winning. That’s my No. 1 priority."

It's unclear what being the first black driver has to do with being 40-years-old, but then again, none of what Hamilton said makes much sense. The criticism from Ecclestone and Jordan was not based on his race, but on his age and lack of consistent success, post-2021. Hamilton himself on team radios could be heard saying he was slower than other drivers. 

Yes, he is different than other 40-year-olds, because everyone has different physical and mental capabilities, but that doesn't mean age simply doesn't affect him because of his past accomplishments. 

Playing the race card is a tired excuse to dismiss others, and it's unbecoming from someone with Hamilton's career. It's also, frankly, offensive to dismiss comments coming from others of a different race. Just as he'd be offended if someone dismissed his remarks because of his race. Somehow, that never seems to matter in the face of unearned righteous indignance, though.