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‘Some older drivers have a bee on the hood’: Lewis Hamilton attacks Sir Jackie Stewart after F1 legend says Mercedes car superiority is ‘almost unfair on the rest of the field’
- Sir Jackie Stewart said he did not rank Hamilton in the top band of conductors
- Hamilton rose to the level of Michael Schumacher with 91 wins on Sunday
- Says he’ll never badmouth the young driver when he’s retired
Lewis Hamilton has fired a thinly veiled shot at Sir Jackie Stewart for denying him the credit he believes is owed.
Hamilton became the tallest race winner in Formula One history at the Eifel Grand Prix on Sunday by equaling Michael Schumacher in 91 victories.
Last week, Stewart said he failed to place Hamilton in the top band of drivers, led, he argued, by Juan Manuel Fangio and Jim Clark. He pointed out that there were fewer F1 rounds in earlier times, making it impossible to rack up 90 wins.
Lewis Hamilton fired a thinly veiled shot at Formula One legend Sir Jackie Stewart
He added about Hamilton’s Mercedes: “The car and the engine are now so superior that it is almost unfair in the rest of the field.”
But the six-time reigning world champion has regained his goal. “I get hit by a lot of people, especially older drivers,” he said. They have a bee in the hat. I do not know why. I have a lot of respect for the past legends, even though they continue to speak negatively of me.
‘In 20 years, I can promise you that I will not speak ill of any young rider who is arriving.
Stewart said last week that he did not rank Hamilton in the top band of drivers.
“As a senior rider, there is a responsibility to shine the light and cheer them on, be it Max Verstappen or whoever, by chasing the record that I finally set.”
Hamilton, 35, and triple world champion Stewart, 81, have endured difficult relationships for a few years and clashed during the lockdown over Hamilton’s diversity crusade. Stewart insisted that racism in F1 “is not as big of a problem as it might seem.” Hamilton called those comments “just disappointing.”
On the question of greatness, Hamilton, who is chasing a seventh world title to equal Schumacher again, said: ‘There is a lot of talk in all sports about this, but it is impossible to compare people. If you put all the best drivers in the sport in the same season and the same car, that would be something, but it is not important to me.
Stewart said the superiority of the Mercedes car is ‘almost unfair in the rest of the field’
“You can be remembered for having the most wins and that is something special. But it’s the obstacles I’ve faced that matter the most. Everyone has a different journey and shouldn’t be hit by that. ‘
Hamilton revealed that he called his father, and former manager Anthony, after Sunday’s win, a sign of his deep closeness after a few fragile years. “There were definitely a lot of emotions,” Hamilton revealed of the last conversation, his voice cracking. My dad and I have never been so close. It’s extraordinary and it makes me so much happier that we talk a lot, which I never thought we would do.
“We were together last weekend, and now we have adult conversations about all kinds: politics, food, training, relationships. He texted me the night before the race and said, “You know what to do … I know you are going to do it.” It has been that way from day one. Family is everything. ‘
