"Unc body nephew mind": Fans react to Lewis Hamilton claiming that he'll never be an old man

Fans have shared their mixed reactions on social media to Lewis Hamilton claiming that age is just a state of mind. The 7-time-world-champion said in an interview recently that he will never 'be an old man.'

Statistically the most successful driver in F1 history, Hamilton has joined the most successful team in F1 history in the 2025 season. This partnership was always bound to grab all the headlines at the start of this season. Now every statement made by Hamilton is potentially even more under the microscope than it was before.

Having done his first in-depth interview as a Ferrari driver with TIME, Lewis Hamilton shared how he feels about joining his new team as a 40-year-old. He said during the interview that age is just a state of mind and that he will never be an old man, even while his body continues to age with time.

ESPN F1 shared this quote on their X account, which in turn garnered a variety of reactions from fans. Some reacted positively while others seemed to disagree with the Brit.

"The 'old man' is a state of mind. Of course your body ages. But I'm never going to be an old man." [via TIME]

X user @goReborn paraphrased Hamilton's words in a rather unique and humorous way, saying:

"Unc body nephew mind"

"Go talk to Alonso," said @blackbirchdrive.

"Mindset of a Winner," wrote another fan.

"Sure grandpa," said another user.

"If Tom Cruise can do stunts at 60 why can't our champion race at 40?" noted another fan.

Lewis Hamilton signed up for Ferrari as early as February 2024, but the Brit joined his new team at the start of the 2025 season. He turned 40 in January this year.

It has been 18 years since Hamilton made his F1 debut, having began his career with McLaren in 2007. In his rookie season, the then-22-year-old finished runner-up, only 1 point behind the champion Kimi Raikkonen. He went on to claim the first of his seven Drivers' titles in the subsequent year, becoming the youngest ever driver to win a championship at the time.

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Lewis Hamilton pictured with a horse for his TIME interview

Lewis Hamilton arriving at the F1 testing in Bahrain - Day 1 - Source: Getty

Lewis Hamilton was pictured with a black horse for the cover of the March edition of TIME magazine. When he arrived at the studio for the photoshoot, he was greeted by this stallion, which is clearly a symbolic gesture for his move to the Prancing Horse.

An exerpt from the feature with TIME mentioned that the 40-year-old was cautious in meeting with the horse at first, due to his allergies. However, he later got familiar with the beast and even asked his handler a few questions about 'Aroma'.

"But Hamilton, a literal knight, is enamored, peppering the horse master with questions. Where’s Aroma from? (Portugal.) Can he sleep lying down? (Yes.) How much does he weigh? (About 1,300 lb). Only a few hundred less than Hamilton’s race car.)" [via TIME]

Hamilton made a variety of bold and aggressive statements in his interview with TIME, including one where he asked people to never compare him with anyone else, claiming he is 'built different.'

He also remarked how he never takes into account the criticism he receives from 'older white men', who have made comments about his F1 career in the past.