Lewis Hamilton says he has used his creativity to redesign a fundamental component of F1.
Lewis Hamilton arrived in F1 as a McLaren driver in 2007, achieving five consecutive top-three finishes before taking his first win at the Canadian Grand Prix.
While making a name for himself by displaying exceptional skill and talent, Lewis Hamilton worked closely with McLaren’s F1 engineers to fine-tune the car’s ergonomics to his liking.
One element that caught his attention was the steering wheel of the McLaren MP4-22.
“What a lot of people don’t really know is that I redesigned the steering wheel when I was at McLaren,” Hamilton told CNA Luxury.
“I did the same thing when I came to Mercedes and all the other teams copied the wheels.”
“All the old wheels were round. Now they have a top, a lowered handle, and they don’t join at the bottom.”
“I should have copyrighted it! This is something I’m really proud of, I really like working on car ergonomics.”
But the steering wheel isn’t the only important part of the Lewis Hamilton modified car.
“We also designed the cockpit seats,” added Hamilton.
“I sanded and rounded the corners. I had almost the same seat as the team for 10 years. I also redesigned the pedals with the engineers.”
“These are the things I love, because they allow me to be a little creative.”
Seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has had the most difficult season of his Formula 1 career so far, and the 37-year-old may finish the season without winning a single race for the first time. .
But the lack of success hasn’t eaten away at Lewis Hamilton’s motivation or energy. Only time will tell how far he can extend his F1 career.
“I’ve spent time talking to many great athletes who are competing towards the end of their careers, as well as those who have retired,” Hamilton said of his future.
“A lot of people say they stopped too early or too late. Most people say we’ll know when the time is right.”
“But as racing drivers we are single-minded and so focused on doing our best that we usually don’t have enough time to do other things.”
“When an athlete retires, it’s like the whole world stops.
Category: F1 / Lewis Hamilton / mclaren / F1 machine / mercedes
