Formula 1 icon Lewis Hamilton believes driving on roads is notably more ‘stressful’ than racing at 200mph around a circuit.
Mercedes and Hamilton endured a difficult start to the campaign but the seven-time world champion has found form recently, reaching five successive podium. Both Hamilton and teammate George Russell have reached the podium at the last two races while the 37-year-old achieved his second successive P2 finish last time out at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
While he has found plenty of success on the track with McLaren and Mercedes across his illustrious career, Hamilton admitted he rarely drives on roads due to the risk of something going wrong. He also finds moments like traffic jams, zebra crossing and T-junctions ‘stressful’.
Hamilton, the most successful driver in F1 history, was driving around the busy roads in the south of France for Vanity Fair’s September issue. It was there he revealed his dislike of busy roads, which many of his fans will surely relate to.
“I just think I find it stressful,” Hamilton told Vanity Fair as he drove on the roads in the south of France. “This is now stressful for me.
“This road is crazy. So much going on here. Look, we're on these roads, anything can happen.”
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Hamilton has still acquired an impressive collection of cars and motorbikes as he sought to improve his driving experience, picking up a McLaren P1, a Ferrari LeFerrari and an MV Agusta bike. However, he mostly utilises an electric Mercedes EQC to limit his impact on the environment.
The seven-time F1 world champion later revealed another fear he possesses amid his successful motor racing career - spiders. The common phobia is another he can share with his army of fans around the world, and Hamilton said trips to Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix scare him due to the long-term fear.
He often requests rooms higher up to avoid the creatures, and even checks the room for spiders before he unpacks and settles in. Hamilton added: “People say: ‘Dude! You drive around at 200 miles an hour!’ And I'm like, in terms of fear factor, that's easy for me.”
The 22-race F1 2022 campaign continues with the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps on August 28 after the four-week summer break.
