"There are thousands of kids dying" - Lewis Hamilton talks about the Israel-Palestine conflict in Gaza

Ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi, seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton opened up about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine and shared his thoughts on the loss of lives over the last month.

After the conclusion of the penultimate race of the 2023 season in Las Vegas, the F1 bandwagon returned to the Middle East for the season finale in Abu Dhabi. With the war-torn territories of Israel and Palestine nearby, Hamilton was asked how he was able to focus on the race. The Mercedes driver told the media including Sportskeeda:

"It's been a very strange period for us because we are in such a bubble here. We arrive at all these different places and there is so much positivity in our little bubble"

Lewis Hamilton revealed he had been disturbed by the loss of lives due to the war. He also expressed his disappointment at how the situation had been handled by different countries and governments. He stated:

"This year it's been really hard to... difficult to wake up each day knowing that there are thousands of kids dying and there's nothing you can do about it and the rest of the world just goes on as it is."

"It's massively disappointing to see how countries and governments are handling it. Just to think where we are in 2023 with everything through history, doesn't look like we have learned anything."

The 38-year-old admitted that it is difficult to compartmentalize the news and focus on racing, but he tries to retain a positive outlook. He added:

"To be able to compartmentalize that and just go ahead with your job is difficult. It's all over social [media], there's not a day you see something pop up on the news and you just try to remain positive through the darkest times."

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Lewis Hamilton denies speaking with Christian Horner about joining Red Bull

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner created waves after Daily Mail reported that Lewis Hamilton had "inquired" about the team, before his contract renewal with Mercedes.

Hamilton denied the reports allegedly made by Horner and stated that neither he nor any of his representatives had spoken to Red Bull. He said in the press conference:

"I have checked with everyone on my team [of representatives] and no one has spoken to them, but they have tried to reach out to us"

The seven-time F1 champion then took a jibe at the Red Bull boss, stating that people dropped his name to garner attention. He added:

"Not really. If you really think about it, there are a lot of people here who really like to drop my name in conversations because they know it is going to make waves. And if you are a little bit lonely and are not getting much attention that is the perfect thing to do, just mention my name."

The Mercedes driver clarified that he had only texted Christian Horner after the latter had suggested an end-of-season meeting.