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WATCH: Lewis Hamilton Avoids Horrible Injury at Japanese GP as Electric Scooter Nearly Ended His Race Before It Started

Published 04/07/2024, 3:44 AM EDT

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via Reuters

There is just something amazing about an F1 race that keeps fans coming back for more. The paddocks, the cars, the speed, the thrill—everything about the race is iconic. But if you are an avid Formula One fan, you might have noticed that the F1 cars are not the only vehicles used at the Grand Prix.

Drive to Survive fans would know how people travel around the paddocks on those really handy electric scooters. Of course, it must be tiring to walk around, especially around tracks set in the sun, and Mercedes Boss Toto Wolff and World Champion Lewis Hamilton are often seen on those nifty vehicles. However, an incident before the Japanese Grand Prix involving a scooter could’ve left Lewis Hamilton in a bad situation.

When Lewis Hamilton almost fell

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Ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, a clip of Lewis Hamilton around the paddock was captured. The clip showed the 7-time world champion riding his scooter around, and while he passed one of the RB20s, he tripped on cables before stabilizing himself and walking it off.

Imagine if Lewis Hamilton had fallen; there’s a possibility he could have hurt himself. Considering the busy environment at the paddock and the equipment that is all over the place, it’s a great thing that Lewis Hamilton didn’t really hurt himself as it was a disbalance or it could have ended his race before even getting into the W15.

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Luckily, he came out unscraped, and this is great news for Toto Wolf & team because they need as many points as possible this season. Having one driver down would be disastrous for Mercedes, and such a drop would affect their position on the pecking order.

Although this is Hamilton’s last year on the team, Lewis Hamilton does need to prove to himself that he is still of world-champion caliber. Next year will be a new car for Hamilton, and getting there as healthy and fit as possible is his priority because the last time an F1 driver rode a bicycle, he broke his wrist. Yes, we are talking about Lance Stroll, who underwent surgery on his right wrist 48 hours after the accident and 12 days before the first race. However, for Lewis Hamilton, with a major accident avoided, he is okay, but the same cannot be said about his former McLaren teammate, Heikki Kovalainen.

Here’s why Hamilton sent his greetings to Heikki Kovalainen

Heikki Kovalainen, Hamilton’s former teammate from McLaren, recently underwent open-heart surgery and is currently recovering at home. Amidst the hustle of the Japanese Grand Prix, Hamilton took the time to wish Kovalainen a speedy recovery. He reached out to Kovalainen on X (formerly Twitter), and expressed his well wishes, saying, “Get well soon Heikki, praying for you.”

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via Reuters

Hamilton and Kovalainen were teammates at McLaren for two seasons, in 2008 and 2009. Despite the former’s outpacing of Kovalainen during their time together, his concern for Kovalainen’s health was evident and yet genuine.

Regardless, Hamilton’s primary focus remained on the Japanese Grand Prix. He was depicted as being fully immersed in the competition, with challenges faced during practice sessions leading up to the race. With that said, Mercedes did well today. Russell kept fighting till the very last lap and finished P7, leaving Oscar Piastri behind. Lewis Hamilton finished 2 places behind in P9. Do you think Mercedes will catch up in the remaining races, or have they reached rock bottom? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Written by:

Viren Mirpuri

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Viren Mirpuri is an F1 Writer at EssentiallySports. With a Degree in Mass Media and a Specialization in Journalism, Viren is known for his speedy race day coverage outside of discussing the engine technicalities. Whether he's dissecting the latest technical innovations or unraveling the drama on and off the track, he ensures that his readers stay engaged and informed.
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Edited by:

Shivali Nathta