Charles Leclerc recently had a dangerous encounter when he tried chasing the robbers who stole his watch. That begged the question, what would he have done if he caught the offenders? Would he come out victorious if the matter got to fisticuffs? Maybe yes, maybe not. But which driver amongst the current crop is street enough to defend himself against physical violence? Believe it or not, Lewis Hamilton gets a resounding majority.

Growing up, Lewis wasn’t the biggest and strongest among his peers in school. That led to him getting bullied quite a lot. It got to a point when he decided to take up karate, and soon enough, the prodigious karateka had a black belt. He once even admitted to incorporating the learning of martial arts in his driving style.

Despite a non-combative personality, Lewis Hamilton hailed as the toughest driver

After 15 years in F1, Lewis has gone calmer. He may still be as competitive on the track as he was when he debuted back in 2007, but his off-track personality has certainly gone more tranquil. That being said, his black belt gives him a big advantage over his fellow drivers when it comes to choosing the best slugger.

Trending

Lando Norris Fires 3-Word Warning to Zak Brown and Co Despite Riding High on Miami Win

“Just Being Wheeled Around”: Adrian Newey Accuses Red Bull of ‘Not Involving’ Him in Strategic Calls After Decision to Leave

Pleasing GF Kelly Piquet’s Dad or Genuine Mistake- Max Verstappen Sparks Debate With Blunder During Ayrton Senna’s Tribute

“You Are Disgusting”: Ex-GF Isa Hernaez’s ‘Vengeful’ Update Leaves Fans Pointing Fingers at Carlos Sainz

Red Bull Insider Delivers Bad News to Frederic Vasseur as He Reveals Big “Advantage” Over Ferrari

In a recent episode of The Last Lap podcast, the co-hosts discussed:

Tom McCluskey: Who’s got the best scrap on him?

Aldas: Lewis is a black belt. 

Tom: Lewis can f*ck you up. 

Niran: I think Lewis has every skill imaginable. 

Tom: He’s very measured, so I don’t think it’d get to that stage. In self-defense, he’d f*ck you up. 

Aldas: I mean, he’s got the peace sign on his merch.

Mercedes Bears the Fruits of Brave $30,000,000 Masterstroke as Revenue Doubles to $450,000,000 in Just 9 Years

Hamilton may now have found ways to apply his learnings from karate in the craft he has mastered, but his relationship with martial arts did not have a happy beginning.

When Lewis recalled the sad bullying story that prompted him to take martial arts

Growing up, Lewis was one of only three black students in his school. Because of that, he’d get picked last in sports and would even become a reason for bullies to pick on him. Moreover, his small stature did not help him. Then came a point when it got too much and he asked his dad to enroll him in a karate class.

In a touching Instagram post from 2019, he told, “At school, I was small, alone and an easy target for the bigger kids. I’d stand up for myself, but was usually outnumbered and didn’t know how to defend myself. I remember sitting in the back of the car as a six-year-old driving home with my dad and step mum, being so sad inside but too embarrassed to tell them.”

“I knew if I wanted things to change I’d have to be fearless,” he added. “If my teachers weren’t going to help then I’d have to learn how to defend myself. So, sat in that car, I asked my dad if I could go to karate.”

Watch This Story: Ugliest Moments in Hamilton-Rosberg Rivalry

Hamilton then went on to narrate how karate helped him build qualities like discipline and humility. Qualities that will stay with him forever, including the confidence to stand up for himself.