Wolff: When Lewis decompresses he comes back stronger

F1 News
Saturday, 16 March 2019 at 05:56
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Some of Lewis Hamilton's social media posts are enough to make even stoic Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff raise his eyebrows: Sky diving in Qatar. Surfing lessons with Kelly Slater. And perhaps the biggest shock - designing clothes for Tommy Hilfiger?
Yet while Wolff admitted he was "always worried" about Hamilton's off-track antics, he said nothing would distract the 34-year-old Formula 1 star from his quest for a sixth world title.
"We had a laugh last year because I couldn't get hold of him and couldn't get hold of my chief strategist and one of the race engineers," Wolff said.
"I found out they were racing motorbikes in Jerez and nobody would pick up the phone - they were a bit apologetic. But Lewis is not an 18 or 19-year-old young man any more. He's a five-time world champion. He knows exactly what works for him and what doesn't."
It takes a lot to stir the stony-faced Wolff, with cynics claiming he almost smiled as Hamilton stormed to his fifth world title last year.
But he would have almost gasped when Hamilton posted footage of himself skydiving in Qatar ahead of this weekend's Australian Grand Prix.
Then there was the post of him surfing with 11-time world champion Slater, and he still somehow found time to launch a new clothing line with Hilfiger.
But Wolff said Hamilton would be as focused as ever behind the wheel at the Formula 1 season opener in Melbourne, "All these activities are not a negative distraction ... every time he's able to decompress from motor racing, he comes back stronger."
"We mustn't be judgemental. Some people go on a meditation seminar to India, others do sky-diving, others are out for the ladies. Let's accept how everybody is," added Wolff.
Hamilton got his season off to the best possible start by topping the timing sheets in all three Free Practice sessions ahead of Saturday afternoon (Melbourne time) qualifying.
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