EXCLUSIVE: “Lewis Hamilton Shouldn’t Cry Too Much… He is and Was Brilliant” – Perry McCarthy

Lewis Hamilton is perhaps the only Formula 1 driver who did not have the same upbringing as the rest of his colleagues. He was born into a humble family that had to work overtime every day to bear basic karting costs. The challenging childhood and humble beginning will always be a part of Hamilton and this is exactly why he is respected so much by the world of F1 and beyond. However, British former racer Perry McCarthy has given a fresh and unique perspective on these struggles.

Perry McCarthy, while discussing the seven-time world champion during an exclusive with EssentiallySports, recognized the struggles of the Hamilton family while he was young and could not showcase his talents. However, the Brit received enormous support from his father and eventually did start winning races and impressing important people like McLaren’s former CEO Ron Dennis, which changed the trajectory of his career. Hamilton grabbed these opportunities with both hands to his credit.

Not everyone gets similar support as Hamilton despite taking a similar or worse route to the circus. Perry McCarthy is one such example. He hustled his way to F1 by working a part-time job and with little to no support from anyone else. Hence, in the exclusive interview with ES, he highlighted the support Hamilton has received since he commenced his journey in F1.

“Lewis shouldn’t cry too much about lack of support because he had something that a lot of people would’ve dreamed of having. That was something like Ron Dennis, the head of McLaren, coming and believing in you,” said McCarthy.

“Now what Lewis did do is he repaid that belief at every single stage because Lewis is and was brilliant, that was it. So Lewis had the chance and he strangled that chance with every shred of his soul, so he repaid. But Lewis shouldn’t talk too much about lack of opportunities,” he concluded.

Read More: After Lewis Hamilton’s Incessant Complaints, Mercedes Admits Huge Mistake in Honest Confession

We can all understand where McCarthy is coming from. However, now Hamilton has a platform with which he can influence people. Now a more mature Hamilton also admits to his mistakes, so perhaps it’s a healthy balance of the two? He even showcased this side of him during the 2023 season.

Lewis Hamilton makes an honest admission of his mistake after his collision with Oscar Piastri

One of the most talked about but also a highly controversial figure, Hamilton is always making headlines. So when the Brit collided with Oscar Piastri during the Italian GP, which ruined the rookie’s race and cost his team a $150,000 front wing, it made the news earning him plenty of criticism. However, the part that doesn’t get highlighted is the Brit radioed in almost immediately to confess, “I didn’t give him enough space.”

He even went up to Piastri and apologized for his on-track actions, a rare sight in the sport. This is exactly why Mercedes boss Toto Wolff felt like defending the face of his operation.

Wolff said, “He’s very sportsmanlike with these things. He is the only one I see out there admitting and saying: ‘I got this wrong.’ We just had a chat. He said, ‘I didn’t see him on the right, and it was on me.’ That kind of sportsmanship is what you need to admire with him. Pretty much everyone is always complaining and moaning just to try to not get a penalty.” 

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The lesson here is every story has two perspectives and before jumping to conclusions, one must always dive deeper and get to the crux of the information. So even though McCarthy suggested Hamilton stop crying, he meant it with the utmost respect, having faced something similar in his past.