With Formula 1’s popularity on the rise, thanks in part to Netflix’s ‘Drive to Survive’ series, drivers have become bona fide celebrities. In Miami, where glamor takes over the paddock, some drivers were asked about life in the spotlight.
Lewis Hamilton, with his 36.9 million followers on Instagram and constant presence at popular events, is one of the best-known faces in the category. But is celebrity life all it seems?
“I’m pretty spontaneous,” Hamilton said. “I think it’s an interesting journey, but it’s definitely not everything you imagine it to be as a kid. Seeing people on TV and thinking, ‘It must be cool to have money and all that stuff.’ But there is a B side. Over time, you learn to deal with it. Ultimately, you realize it’s not just about you. It is a platform to do good. If you have the right intentions, you can make a positive impact.”
Valtteri Bottas agrees with his former Mercedes teammate. “I haven’t lost my spontaneity. It’s a journey with positives and negatives. I think the best thing is to be yourself, enjoy the good and deal with the rest.”
Sergio Perez, in turn, highlights the difficulty of reconciling family life with fame: “It has its difficult moments, but also many positive ones. You have achieved a lot of things that you dreamed of as a child. However, it comes with a great responsibility. Sometimes it’s difficult because it separates you from people. I have a family, and sometimes we are not as comfortable as we used to be because of the tension in certain places. But it’s part of the process. As Lewis said, we have a platform to motivate the next generation. It’s like everything in life, there is a downside, but we are privileged to live our dream”, added the Mexican driver.
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