The “Bloody-Minded” Lewis Hamilton Was Once Deemed More Suitable of Being a Racer Than Husband Material

F1 drivers are often from a different breed altogether. We cannot imagine and relate to the ruthless mindset folks like Lewis Hamilton and Co. carry racing at 200 mph every weekend. Although, it also creates a weird perception of their personal lives. When Hamilton first came into F1, many typecast him as well into the “bloody-minded” ruthless racer’s mold. His former McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh even cited him as not a suitable husband material for one’s daughter.

According to a BBC feature, Whitmarsh once stated the reasons why McLaren signed up Lewis back in the day. Meanwhile, he also touched upon how these reasons also do not make him the ideal suitor a father may look for his daughter.

Whitmarsh said, “You wanted a driver who if your daughter brought them home, you’d think, ‘Oh, God, she’s going to get hurt,’ because they’re so selfish and self-possessed.”

“As much as I love Lewis [Hamilton] to death, would I be happy for my daughter to bring him home? No. As part of the complex equation of talent, intensity, focus, they also have to have a bit of ruthlessness.”

The former McLaren CEO delved into how they deemed Hamilton had more of a ruthless racer’s attitude than anything else. And this nature in his young days got him his F1 debut. Martin concluded, “And that was it, just bloody-minded.”

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Certainly, Hamilton proved this perception right in his rookie year. Tussling with the reigning champion Fernando Alonso and finishing level with him was an impressive feat. It showed evidence of the greater things Lewis was meant to achieve in F1.

How the Ruthless Lewis Hamilton got under the skin of Fernando Alonso in 2007

Fernando Alonso’s life perhaps twisted when Lewis Hamilton stepped into his at the start of 2007. He hoped that Lewis would be just another rookie driver, who may stay under his shadow. Instead, Hamilton had other ideas.

From banging wheels with the reigning double champion at Turn 1 in Melbourne to making him resort to extreme measures, Lewis certainly got under Alonso’s skin. The Hungarian GP flash point of Fernando blocking Lewis in the pits showed how much the Spaniard got affected.

Hamilton had to wait for his maiden win until Canada and got only 4 wins similar to Alonso. They even could not be separated till the end of the season with a tie on 109 points each. Was it Lewis pressuring Fernando that did not allow the latter to complete a hat-trick of world championships? Or was the Briton as good as the double champion, right from the get-go?

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The ruthless Lewis may have won this battle, considering how few expected him to match Alonso. Even after 16 years, it feels like neither of them is done, and keeps relentlessly pursuing more success in F1. They may disagree, but both Hamilton and Alonso are similarly ruthless and bloody-minded when it comes to racing and winning.