‘I Want to Be Like That’: F1 Star Lewis Hamilton Got Tiger Woods and Serena Williams on the Same Page in a Heartfelt Confession in 2017

The greatest golfer, Tiger Woods, is a renowned sportsperson worldwide. He is a legend and an inspiration for many young budding athletes. Even F1 star, Lewis Hamilton agrees with the legacy of Woods. He never wanted to be like the former number-one golfer but always respected him. Hamilton was most impressed by Woods in 2019.

It is unsurprising, as the 15-times major championship deserves all the love. He is an inspiration because he did not give up despite being in the dark phase. After a brief break, we always see him back on the golf course. Yes, things have been going wrong since his car accident in 2021. He almost lost his right leg and had to be away from golf for 14 months. 

Despite that, he has been trying hard to get back in his game. And in the list of people he inspired, Hamilton lies too. In an interview, the race car driver explained his ordeals of inspiration. 

Tiger Woods is an inspiration for many

Lewis Hamilton’s rise from poverty to affluence is well known, as is his sincere respect for Ayrton Senna, but other black athletes who defied the odds also inspired him to succeed in sports.

The F1 superstar, Hamilton recalls observing others athletes as a child. The reason was that his dad was watching them. However, in a 2017 interview with the FIA’s official magazine, Auto. He revealed the truth. His father used to watch Muhammad Ali. They were a black family, so their life wasn’t always simple. They couldn’t relate to any black Formula 1 family on TV because there was none.

Read more- ‘Fu**ing Awesome’: Golf World Reacts to Tiger Woods’ Latest Partnership With Lewis Hamilton 

Hamilton further said that he used to watch other sports stars and learn from them. He watched Lennox Lewis, Frank Bruno, the Williams sisters, and Tiger Woods. The F1 star was mesmerized by how these sports stars have defied the odds and become the G.O.A.T. Looking at them, he prayed to reach the same level as them in his particular sport. Hamilton said, “I saw what Tiger was doing, and I was like, one day, I want to be like that in my world, in racing. I’d look at the Williams sisters breaking through and think: I pray and hope that one day I can be great like they have been because they have broken down barriers.”

Williams sisters and Woods were the reason he started playing their sport. In the interview, he candidly revealed that he used to play golf because of Woods. And the only reason he ever played tennis was because of the William sisters. However, he does not play golf anymore because he is not good enough. Hamilton said, “I play golf now because of Tiger. Well, actually, I’ve quit because I suck!” “But I took it up because of Tiger, and I started playing tennis because of the Williams sisters.”

Watch this story- Tiger Woods Took No Time to Give a Befitting Reply to a PGA Pro for His Bitter Gibe in 2006 

Do you find Woods inspiring? What is the best thing about him that motivates you?