Lewis Hamilton ready to say 'a big no' to off-track activities if they impact his F1 preparation

Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he has a strict approach when it comes to not doing any off-track activity that could be a detriment to his F1 preparation.

According to the Mercedes driver, the sport's demands keep increasing every year, and drivers are expected to give every aspect their full attention.

He told racingnews365:

"My priority is my job here with the team, but we're only racing on the weekends. There is time in between to do the work that I'm doing with Mission 44, I'm able to kind of steer the ship still on that for example.

"But if I know that it's going to affect my preparation, like getting away from my training or my time with the team, or have any possible impact on our race weekend, it's a big no. And that's with friends, with relationships, this [F1] is what I'm focused on."

Hamilton discussed how being athletic since he was a child has helped him maintain high levels of performance in F1. He said:

"Since I was a kid, I was good at athletics, so I had that natural level [of fitness]. But to be able to take it to another level, and particularly as you're getting older, it does get harder for all of us."

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"You have to be more meticulous with your diet and training" - Lewis Hamilton on his F1 training

Lewis Hamilton also talked about how he started being very meticulous with his training to prolong his career and make sure he performs at a high level. He said:

"[You have to] be more meticulous with your diet and training. Like for example, [I was] doing Pilates Reformer with a good friend of mine that's an Olympic athlete. It was so funny because it's something that we've never really done before.

"I've done Pilates, but just adding different things that I wouldn't normally do and being more specific with my daily routine, way more than when I was 22. I wasn't doing the things [then] that I'm doing today."

He added:

"So, it's definitely been a conscious decision, and it's also just my mental wellbeing, being enough to find a balance in my life. Being very, very protective of your energy and where you spend your time."

Lewis Hamilton has suggested that he's looking to extend his Mercedes career with a multiple-year contract. It will be interesting to see when (or if) the deal gets finalized.