F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Hamilton: 'Outside the car I didn't feel right'

Lewis Hamilton says he now feels happier in his life than at the beginning of his F1 career, when he felt 'tied up' in his racing universe.

The Mercedes driver secured his fourth world title in Mexico, with three championship rounds to go. But his sporting success at Mercedes has also spawned a personal development and a sense of happiness which rarely prevailed during his early years as a Grand Prix driver.

"When I think of how I felt years ago, I imagine being tied up and unable to move," he told Italian magazine Sportweek.

"It was enough for me to be in F1 and I told myself it was the best job in the world. But outside the car I didn't feel right, I didn't feel complete," Hamilton said.

"I was only using 10 per cent of my potential."

Hamilton admits his switch at the end of 2012 from the sanitized and highly regulated environment at McLaren to Mercedes' less restricted and confined organization played a huge part in his personal development.

He is now free to jet all over the world and mingle with the rich and famous while enjoying the freedom to commit to interests outside the world of Formula 1.

"We often forget that we don't live forever and that life is short," Hamilton insisted.

"And I don't like to waste a minute. I'm scared I will miss something, so I make my days very long."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

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