Sir Jackie Stewart suggests that fellow triple world champion Lewis Hamilton's Singapore slump might be the result from living “a life that distracts you”.
The Mercedes driver was comprehensively outshone by team-mate Nico Rosberg at Marina Bay Circuit, with the German sealing a third consecutive win since the summer break to re-claim the championship lead by eight points.
While Hamilton had been hampered by a substantial engine grid penalty in Belgium and a poor star in Italy, the 31-year-old did not seem to have any answer to Rosberg’s pace last weekend.
Stewart hints that Hamilton has lost focus due to his busy personal schedule away from racing.
“Maybe you can bottom out,” he is quoted as saying by The Daily Mail. “That can happen through consistent success because when you have consistent success everything can seem so easy.
“Suddenly things can go less well — you overdrive, you are not on the ball, or you live a life that distracts you. If you are at the top in any line of work, you can get carried away with success. You think you can get away with things. Then someone else comes along and drives better or more consistently.”
The only other triple world champion from the UK, Stewart explains how he tried to keep the edge over the competition when he was still racing.
“I was always frightened of being beaten. I always thought there could be someone out there better than me or who might have a better car. So I always worked on that basis. I could never sit back and relax.”
Hamilton’s celebrity lifestyle has been a much-discussed topic in recent years. The Briton has repeatedly dismissed the criticisms and previously said that it helped him cope with the setbacks he faced at the start of the current season.
Quotes of the week - 2016 Singapore Grand Prix
2016 Singapore Grand Prix - Driver ratings
REPORT: Rosberg takes title lead after Singapore thriller
Breakfast with ... Bernd Maylander
