Teaches a Winning Mindset
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
1
03
21
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR:
LEWIS HAMILTON
ESTABLISHING A
WINNING MINDSET
From child prodigy to racing legend
to social justice leader, his journey
is about more than speed
According to Lewis, mental preparation
is “absolutely everything”
26
09
ASSIGNMENT
A BEGINNER'S GUIDE
TO FORMULA 1
Analyze your personal performance
27
Your brief introduction to
the most incredible auto-racing
series on the planet
VALUING YOUR PERSPECTIVE
15
On the importance of claiming
your worth and unlocking the true
power of individualism
A technical analysis of the steering
30
TOTAL CONTROL
wheel in Lewis’s World Championship-
CHANGE IN MOTION
winning car from 2018
Reviewing the Hamilton Commission
report and Lewis’s push to increase
diversity in racing
17
THE ROAD TO
RACING GLORY
31
REFINING THE FORMULA
Outlining the path (and pitfalls) of
an aspiring professional racer
Reconsider your approach to
self-improvement (and try employing
a few of Lewis’s strategies)
19
FORMULA 1 LIFE CYCLE
33
Champions aren’t made overnight,
but there is an established path to
joining racing’s top tiers
ASSIGNMENT
Create a self-care plan
20
34
ASSIGNMENT
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Map out the life cycle
of your career
Use the principles discussed
during Lewis’s class to curate
a well-rounded bookshelf
2
M E E T Y O U R INSTRUCTOR:
LEWIS HAMILTON
From child prodigy to racing legend
to social justice leader, the British
driver’s journey has always been
about more than just speed
LEWIS HAMILTON IS A WINNER.
That isn’t so much a superlative as
a simple matter of fact. Competing in
Formula 1 auto racing, widely considered the highest level of motorsport
in the world, he’s driven more laps in
first place than any other driver in
history. He’s tallied more than one
hundred race victories, an all-time
record, and captured seven Formula
1 World Championship trophies,
matching another all-time record.
Often, he’s winning before the race
even begins: Nobody has more
pole-position starts, awarded to the
first-place finisher in prerace qualifying, than Lewis does.
He certainly had a head start in
terms of raw ability. Lewis was born in
Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England,
in 1985; by the age of six, he was
showing a preternatural gift for racing remote-control cars, routinely
beating his teenage and adult opponents around the miniature courses.
Impressed by his son’s hand-eye
coordination and reaction speed,
Lewis’s father bought him a go-kart,
a definitive step on the path to
becoming a professional racing
driver. He proved a precocious talent
behind the wheel, winning his first
karting championship in 1995 at the
age of ten—the youngest driver to do
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so at the time. At an awards ceremony in London that year, Lewis
started mapping out his future.
“Ayrton Senna was my favorite
driver…the team that he drove for
[McLaren F1] was owned by a guy
called Ron Dennis. And Ron Dennis
was there,” Lewis recalls of the
event. “So I went to Ron, and I said,
‘One day I wanna drive for you and
be World Champion.’ ”
And so it was: After notching two
more karting championships, in
1996 and 1997, Lewis was recruited
into the McLaren Young Driver
Programme, securing his place in
the Formula 1 pipeline. He quickly
4
LEFT: Lewis strapped into the car
for a test session before his Formula 1 debut. His four race wins in
2007 tied the record for most victories in a season by a rookie driver.
ascended the proverbial ladder of
auto racing in Europe, taking home
two major series championships
before moving into GP2 racing—the
feeder series just below Formula 1—
for 2006. He won the title there, too,
but the prize turned out to be much
more than a trophy: McLaren invited
him to a testing session at England’s
famed Silverstone Circuit. He aced
the audition. Eight weeks later,
McLaren announced that Lewis
would be promoted to the Formula 1
team for 2007, racing alongside lead
driver Fernando Alonso, a two-time
World Champion.
Strapping into the driver’s seat,
Lewis made his presence known
immediately. He finished third in his
debut race, then won his sixth race
outright; under the Formula 1 scoring
system, wherein individual drivers
earn points according to their finishing order, Lewis spent months
leading the World Championship
standings—virtually unheard of for
a rookie. He eventually finished second, losing to Ferrari driver Kimi
Räikkönen by a single point, but set
a number of first-season records.
And he took care of business in
2008, winning the World Championship in dramatic fashion, successfully overtaking another driver on
the last lap of the season’s last race.
Since signing with the powerhouse Mercedes-AMG Petronas
team for 2013, Lewis has claimed
the World Championship in six of
the seven following seasons, tying
the career record for Formula 1
titles—and breaking dozens of
5
other records along the way. (His
dominance has drawn comparisons
to the likes of Michael Jordan.) He’s
also become a formidable figure in
pop culture, appearing on the cover
of GQ magazine, releasing a clothing line with American fashion icon
Tommy Hilfiger, voicing characters
in Disney’s animated film franchise
Cars and the bestselling video
game Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare,
and garnering a mass following on
social media. In 2020, having established himself as England’s most
decorated Formula 1 driver, Lewis
was knighted by Queen Elizabeth.
Formally, the honor recognized
his contributions to motorsport.
But in recent years, Lewis has been
gaining recognition for his work on
social issues, including systemic
racism and gender inequity. He’s
used his platform to amplify the
Black Lives Matter movement,
speaking out in interviews and participating in peaceful demonstrations to emphasize his solidarity.
Noting the demographics of his field
(Lewis is the only Black driver in
Formula 1, and he says similar disparities exist throughout the sport
in design, engineering, and other
technical roles), he launched the
Hamilton Commission, a task force
focused on increasing representation in motorsport. He’s also earmarked nearly $30 million to support initiatives benefiting math and
science students of color through
his charity organization, Mission 44.
Having a sense of purpose hasn’t
only rejuvenated Lewis personally—
he says it’s actually boosted his performance on the racetrack.
Finding new sources of motivation—regardless of your profession
or level of accomplishment—can
present a challenge for anybody.
The same is true of the other skills
Lewis has spent decades honing,
from preparation and focus to overcoming failure and maintaining discipline. In this class, he hopes to
pass along some of that hard-earned
knowledge to you, along with some
key insights from his historic (and,
at times, challenging) career. Being
a winner, Lewis believes, isn’t simply
a matter of ability. Your mentality
makes all the difference.
6
We get in the way of ourselves
sometimes. But continuously
challenging yourself, never
giving up—it’s at the core of
how I do what I do.
LEWIS
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8
A B E G I N N ER'S GUIDE TO
FORMULA 1
Your brief introduction to the
most incredible auto-racing
series on the planet
9
BELOW: The start of the 1946 Turin Grand Prix, the first race run to Formula 1
criteria. Early cars used supercharged engines to reach speeds over 160 mph;
helmets weren’t mandatory and some drivers raced in short-sleeved shirts.
To grasp the magnitude of Lewis’s
accomplishments, you need to know
a bit about Formula 1. Long established as one of the most competitive, demanding, and technologically advanced forms of auto racing,
the series is a multibillion-dollar
global venture. Still, it’s more popular in some markets than others.
New to the world of Formula 1? No
sweat. Get up to speed here.
 How Did It Start?
Following World War II, European
motorsport officials christened a
new international governing body,
the Fédération Internationale de
l’Automobile. That organization in
turn created a hierarchy of racing
series, with Formula 1 representing
the pinnacle of competition. (The
word formula denotes just that—a
set of criteria, including engine size
and tire compounds, to which each
car in a racing series must conform.)
Formulas 2, 3, and 4 are effectively
the minor leagues, feeding drivers
into Formula 1.
The series’ inaugural Grand Prix
took place in Turin, Italy, in 1946. The
modern multirace World Championship didn’t kick off until four years
later. Under this format, which is still
in place today, a set number of points
are awarded to the top finishers of
each Grand Prix. At the end of the
season, the driver with the most
points is crowned World Champion.
Since 1958, Formula 1 has also
awarded an additional trophy, the
Constructors’ Championship, along
with a multimillion-dollar cash prize,
to the team with the most successful
car. This incentivizes top automakers
like Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Honda, and
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Mercedes to build racing vehicles
that meet Formula 1 criteria, which
can’t be sold to the general public.
Over the years, the sport has
become an international touchstone
and, in some cases, a source of
national pride. The skills of early
World Champions, like Juan Manuel
Fangio of Argentina, were widely celebrated; in the 1970s, English-born
driver James Hunt brought a rockstar swagger to the circuit. Later,
Ayrton Senna’s tenacity behind the
wheel (where he won three World
Juan Manuel Fangio
James Hunt
Ayrton Senna
GLOSSARY
1. Open-wheel:
A type of vehicle,
usually purposebuilt for racing,
with special suspension, outboard
wheels and tires,
and little or no
body paneling.
2. Wing:
A fixed or moveable appendage,
attached to the
front or rear of
a vehicle, that
stalls airflow to
increase downforce
(see page 14).
3. Turbocharger:
An auxiliary
turbine that feeds
compressed air
into a gasoline
or diesel engine
to increase torque
and efficiency.
4. Grand Prix:
A single international auto-racing
competition, typically held as part
of a larger, multirace series.
Michael Schumacher
Championships) and humanitarian
efforts (he remains a hero in his
native Brazil) inspired a new generation of fans—including Lewis. After
Senna was killed in an accident
on-track in 1994, Michael Schumacher, a tactical and steely German
wheelman, took up the mantle of
greatness in Formula 1. Driving for
Ferrari, he dominated the series for a
decade and set numerous records,
many of which Lewis has broken in
recent years.
 What Makes It Special?
Motorsport is known for its high
degree of difficulty, demanding
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incredible amounts of time, money,
technology, and skill (plus a bit of
luck) from participants. Formula 1 is
the most extreme expression of this
reality, in every respect. Teams spend
hundreds of millions of dollars to
compete and must develop cars
from scratch, building dedicated
open-wheel 1 racing vehicles that
have only one seat, no fenders, and
minimal bodywork.
These machines are genuine feats
of engineering, incorporating wild
aerodynamics, aerospace-grade
materials, and advanced data telemetry. Cutting-edge computer systems
control the engine, transmission, and
opposable rear wing2. While the rules
and regulations change frequently,
modern Formula 1 cars are required
to use a V6 engine boosted by a
turbocharger 3 and hybrid battery
setup for maximum efficiency. (Lewis’s Mercedes-AMG Petronas makes
about 1,000 horsepower and weighs
just over 1,600 pounds. For reference,
a Toyota Corolla weighs about 3,000
pounds and has 139 horsepower.)
The pursuit of speed positions
Formula 1 as a testing ground for
technology that’s refined and added
to the everyday vehicles you see at
dealerships. Electronic adjustable
suspension, carbon-ceramic brakes,
and steering-wheel paddle shifters—
formerly exotic features, now available on mainstream Chevrolet sports
cars—were developed in Formula 1.
Other tech from the series has made
its way into public transport, manufacturing, 5G infrastructure, and hospital communications. When you
watch Formula 1, you are, in a sense,
looking into the future.
Every year, teams bring two cars
(and hundreds of supporting staff) to
dozens of Grand Prix 4 spanning five
The sinuous, multiplane
front wing of Lewis’s
Championship-winning
car from 2017. The piece
is made of carbon-fiber—
the same high-strength,
lightweight material
used in fighter jets.
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GLOSSARY
5. Pole position:
First place on the
starting grid on
race day.
6. Downforce:
Reversed vertical
lift, created by
air resistance and
gravity, that simulates additional
weight at high
speeds to increase
stability. (Fun
fact: Lewis’s Formula 1 car generates so much downforce that, at 100
mph, he could
theoretically
drive upside down
on the ceiling!)
continents. Most are held at dedicated racetracks, like the famed
Interlagos in São Paulo and
Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, but
a few take place on closed-off public streets, including those in the
principality of Monaco and downtown Baku in Azerbaijan. These are
full-weekend events, with practice
sessions on Friday to test the cars;
individual lapping on Saturday for
prerace qualifying, with the fastest
driver gaining the advantage of
pole position 5; and the main event,
the point-scoring Grand Prix, on
Sunday. The latter usually takes
about ninety minutes, but is limited
to no more than two hours except
under special circumstances.
At the end of the weekend, the
teams break down the cars and kit,
pack everything up, and move on to
the next race locale. Think of Formula
1 like a glamorous, high-stakes traveling circus. Adding to the romance
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and mystique, there’s a red-carpet
atmosphere during the Grand Prix
weekend, with guest lists that read
like A-list rundowns from music, television, film, and fashion.
 Why Is It So Difficult?
For starters, the speed. Consider
Formula 1 in relation to IndyCar,
another prominent open-wheel racing
series; both held separate events at
the same track, Circuit of the Americas in Texas, in 2019. During qualifying, the fastest IndyCar driver averaged 115 mph for their best lap.
Meanwhile, the top Formula 1 driver
clocked in at over 133 mph.
The key differential wasn’t top
speed, but rather increased traction.
This is because Formula 1 cars have
unique aerodynamic qualities; they
manipulate the air passing around
the car to create downforce 6, which
pushes the tires harder onto the
ground. As speed increases, so does
There is no shortcut to experience.
LEWIS
the amount of passing air and, thus,
the amount of downforce. Counterintuitively, a Formula 1 car is more stable at 200 mph than at 20 mph.
With the car’s rubber secured to
the pavement, the driver experiences enormous physical strain
(straight-line acceleration alone
can generate 2 g, twice the amount
of force exerted by Earth’s gravity)
and must continue to work the controls under these stresses. During
hard braking, the car decelerates
so quickly that the driver’s body
can be subjected to upward of 6 g.
These force multiplications yield
radical real-world results: In the
aforementioned braking scenario,
if a driver’s head and helmet weigh
20 pounds, their neck is effectively
lifting 120 pounds just to keep their
skull upright.
High-speed cornering subjects
drivers to similar physical pressure.
Sensors have measured Lewis
enduring 4.9 g, 5.6 g, and 5.2 g
through three particularly intense
corners at Italy’s Mugello Circuit.
That’s roughly double the amount of
force experienced by an astronaut
during an STS rocket launch. Unlike
space shuttle crews, though, Formula 1 drivers must continually perform under these conditions, lap
after lap, in some cases for several
hours, dozens of times per year.
Behind the wheel, they can expect
prolonged heart-rate elevation
between 140 and 205 beats per minute—and to lose about 6 pounds due
to exertion during a race.
Without brutal fitness regimens,
drivers couldn’t complete a Grand
Prix, which may last fifty or sixty
laps. To meet these demands,
Lewis adheres to a strict vegan diet
(hearty grains, plant-based proteins, steamed vegetables, carbohydrate-dense pastas) and spends
up to six hours per day on focused
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exercises (pilates, wind sprints, skiing, and biking). His MercedesAMG Petronas engineers are always
pushing the limits of machinery to
increase downforce, squeeze out
extra horsepower, and gain an
edge. For Lewis, being able to meet
those challenges when they arise,
and in turn maintain peak performance that translates to victory
on the racetrack, is simply part
of the job.
T E C H NICAL ANALYSIS
TOTAL CONTROL
Formula 1 drivers tune their cars via the steering wheel
while racing, making adjustments in real-time. Here’s a look
at the unit from Lewis’s 2018 World Championship-winning car
DRS: Changes the position of the rear wing,
allowing Lewis to achieve a higher top speed
for passing on straightaways
SKIP +10: Used in combination with the Skip +1
button (opposite) to select a specific engine
sensor—each of which has a numerical
code—and reset that sensor to default
GEARBOX N: Puts the transmission into
neutral for pit stops
DIFFERENTIAL ENTRY: Changes how
the engine distributes power
between the rear wheels when Lewis
is entering a corner
SHIFT PADDLE: Changes the transmission to a lower gear
ENGINE BRAKING:Adjusts how much
the car slows down when Lewis isn’t
touching the throttle or brake
DIFFERENTIAL MID: Changes how the
engine distributes power between
each of the rear wheels when Lewis
is in the middle of a corner
MARK: Creates a point of interest
on the fly, cuing engineers to
analyze data for a certain sector
of the track; think of it like
dropping a location pin, except
at 200 mph
STRAT ROTARY:
Allows Lewis to
choose from sixteen
preset power modes,
dialing in the optimal position for a
given situation
ACCEPT: Confirms the engine
sensor selections made using
the Skip +1 and +10 buttons
BB-:Increases the rear
braking power
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MENU ROTARY: Cycles
through a menu of cockpit
settings, letting Lewis
control everything from
display brightness to radio
volume, with presets for
certain scenarios like wetweather racing
SHIFT INDICATOR:
Illuminates sequentially as the engine
revs higher; when the
light bank is full,
Lewis needs to shift
up to a higher gear
MARSHAL LIGHTS:
Indicates the color
of the race official’s flag, which
may signal a moratorium on passing due to
on-track debris or a
full race stoppage
PIT LANE: Activates a governor
to prevent Lewis from going too
fast in pit lane, where a speed
limit is enforced for crew
safety; even if he mashes the
throttle, the car won’t accelerate beyond a certain threshold
PIT CONFIRM: Alerts the team
that Lewis is coming into the pit
lane; he can use this instead of
broadcasting over the radio,
preventing other teams from
eavesdropping and exploiting
an opportunity to pass
DIFFERENTIAL HIGH: Changes
how the engine distributes
power between each of the rear
wheels at high speeds
SHIFT PADDLE: Changes the
transmission to a higher gear
BRAKE BALANCE: Changes the
baseline settings for braking bias, determining how
braking force is distributed
fore and aft; remember, the
car has two sets of brakes—
front and rear—but Lewis only
has one brake pedal!
ENGINE BRAKING: Adjusts how
much the car slows down when
Lewis isn’t touching the
throttle or brakes
HPP ROTARY: Adjusts the
settings for complicated
engine functions like the
electric battery component
of the car’s hybrid system,
which stores kinetic energy
and uses it to boost engine
performance
RACE START: Maximizes horsepower so
that Lewis can speed
away from the starting line
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TALK: Turns on the
radio so that Lewis
can communicate with
his race engineers
back in the pits
BB+: Increases the
front braking power
T H E R O A D TO
RACING GLORY
Outlining the career path
(and potential pitfalls) of
a professional racing hopeful
17
Lewis openly discusses the challenges of financing a career in
motorsport, especially at the lower
levels. He’s speaking from experience. During his preteen and teenage years, his family made incredible sacrifices to ensure he could
participate on race day; his father,
Anthony, “had, like, four jobs” and
“remortgaged the house several
times,” Lewis says. Thanks to his
natural gifts behind the wheel and
multiple junior championships—and
chance encounter with Formula 1
team boss Ron Dennis—he was able
to secure a spot in a driver incubation program. But Lewis makes no
bones about it: “We wouldn’t have
made it without help.”
Indeed, the path to Formula 1
(see page 19) is hemmed in by
wealth, talent, and persistence.
Drivers who have enough of the
first, either through family fortunes
or sponsor connections, are likely
to get leeway with the latter two.
Lewis points out that systemic
inequalities put some aspiring racers, in particular Black and female
drivers, at an inherent disadvantage—something that he’s become
increasingly determined to rectify.
 The Real Price of Competing.
Even for privileged drivers, racing
can be prohibitively expensive. In a
2015 interview with the English business publication Raconteur, Toto
Wolff, head of the Mercedes-AMG
Petronas team, revealed the costs of
going pro: He estimates that between
a junior karting career, four seasons
in lower Formula series, and the
expenses of transitioning into Formula 1, the total price amounts to
more than $9 million.
Lewis, like many professional racing drivers, honed his skills on the karting
track; by the age of ten, he’d already notched his first series championship
Wolff added that his math applies
only to extraordinary talents, like
Lewis, who can quickly climb the
ranks. Those who need additional
seasons in karting or lower formulas
to develop their skills will pay even
more. Remember, too, that crashes,
mechanical failures, and other incidental costs are inevitable. For young
drivers already stretching each dollar
on race day, the specter of financial
ruin looming in every corner can
seriously impede performance.
 The Sponsorships Struggle.
Let’s say a driver has money. They’ll
still need to impress a team, many of
whom now expect a larger suite of
attributes, in addition to driving talent
and a sterling record in racing’s lower
ranks. Other prerequisites may
include a large social media following,
as well as corporate endorsements,
which drivers can bring to teams. But
obtaining these deals can be difficult,
especially for racers from historically
marginalized backgrounds.
Near the top ranks, the wealth gap
becomes even more apparent. Indeed,
some drivers are only participating in
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Grand Prix because they bring millions
of dollars in personal sponsorships to
their team. Wealthy parents of young
drivers have even reportedly purchased expensive technical equipment for teams, further muddying
the waters of sporting ethics.
 So You’re Saying There’s a Chance?
The dream of racing in Formula 1 can
be achieved, of course. But Lewis
believes it’s much more difficult to
accomplish in today’s climate than
when he was starting out. He’s hoping
to work with the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, the organization that sanctions all levels of Formula
racing, to lower barriers to entry and
increase grassroots participation.
For his part, Lewis’s father has
suggested several revisions to the
current driver pipeline, including a
merit-based drafting process wherein
Formula 1 teams select from drivers
from the lower ranks and limit their
contract lengths to increase turnover, freeing up more opportunities
(and preventing wealthy drivers from
buying their spot on the team for
extended periods of time).
FORMULA 1
LIFE CYCLE
Champions aren’t made overnight,
but there is an established path to
becoming a professional driver in
racing’s top division
AGE 4+
Many drivers begin practicing in go-karts at a remarkably
young age. The small, simple (and relatively slow) machines
are excellent trainers; they reward strong fundamental
skills, like cornering, braking, and passing strategy. Lewis
got his first kart at the age of eight and raced into his teens.
AGE 15+
The first critical leap happens as a teenager, when drivers
move from karts to open-wheel cars, like those in Formula 4.
Top finishers can start earning points toward their Super
License, a Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile
accreditation for Formula 1 competition.
Engine (horsepower): less than 40
Weight (pounds): about 300
Engine (horsepower): 160
Weight (pounds): 1,275
AGE 16+
The Formula 3 level is effectively divided into two classifications: regional, which features smaller turbocharged
engines, and the more competitive global, in which the
cars are faster and heavier. In both divisions, drivers must
adapt to increased weight, power, and aerodynamics to
exploit the car’s full potential.
AGE 17+
Formerly known as GP2, the Formula 2 series showcases
the world’s most promising open-wheel racing talent.
Turbocharged engines are mandatory; more Super License
points are awarded to top finishers. Hopefuls vie for an
invitation to drive a Formula 1 car during off-season testing,
an audition that may result in a contract—but no guarantees.
From here, it’s best or bust.
Engine (horsepower): 300–380
Weight (pounds): 1,450–1,550
Engine (horsepower): 620
Weight (pounds): 1,660
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A S S I G N M E N T
Career Life Cycle
Map out a path to the top of your profession,
noting the major stages along the way. These
might be tied to seniority level (entry level, manager, president) or milestones (graduate, full
time, tenured). What accomplishments are
required to move up at each stage? Is the path
gradual, or are there major leaps you can anticipate and prepare for? If you are considering a
career in motorsport, look at the life cycles of
drivers in different racing series (open-wheel,
touring cars, rallying) and compare them. Which
is going to be most accessible to you?
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ES T A B L I SHING A
WINNING
MINDSET
Lewis is adamant
about what it takes
to be the best, and he
doesn’t mince words:
“Mental preparation
is absolutely
everything.”
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The Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 team. Lewis stresses that communicating
effectively with engineers is a major aspect of his job as the lead driver.
In a given Formula 1 season, a driver
may spend only forty or fifty hours
total racing for World Championship points on the circuit. Moment
to moment, the stakes couldn’t be
higher; Lewis’s car might have one
seat, but he carries with him in the
cockpit the work of hundreds of
crewmembers, the expectations
of millions of fans, and a staggering
amount of financial investment.
That’s to make no mention of the
physical danger. Going wheel to
wheel against his competition at
200 mph, the margin for error is
microscale. One misstep could,
22
quite literally, be the difference
between life and death.
“There are some races where
you’re physically exhausted,” Lewis
allows, “but most of them [you’re]
mentally destroyed afterwards.
Whether you’ve won or whether
you lost.”
As a result, he’s managed to
develop strategies for fortifying his
mental toughness. Some techniques
are more specific than others, but all
of them can be extrapolated, in one
form or another, into any career or
personal pursuit, from academia to
the business world.
 Disconnect and
Compartmentalize.
Lewis can’t afford any distractions
on race weekends, when he’s juggling media appearances, driving in
practice and qualifying, and fulfilling
team obligations, all while existing in
a general state of transience between
one world capital and the next. So
you probably won’t see him texting
when the Grand Prix is approaching.
“Before a race, I try not to be on
my phone. I try not to be dealing with
issues, whether it’s [business]-related,
whether it’s through personal relationships,” he says. “I put those things
aside. I put my phone aside.
23
I only use my phone on the race
weekend for music.”
Lewis has found that unplugging
between Grand Prix pays major dividends, too. Being more present
during off-hours makes it easier for
him to avoid carrying negative energy
into his workplace—the racing paddock—which makes it easier for his
teammates to operate at a higher
level. Lewis’s favorite strategy for
staying in the moment during downtime? When out to dinner with family
or friends, everyone piles their phones
in the center of the table. The first
person who reaches for their device
has to pay for the meal.
 Write It Down.
Formula 1 crews are divided up by
speciality; there isn’t one mechanic
for the engine and one for the aerodynamics, but rather a team for each.
As the driver, Lewis is often a fulcrum
point, gathering key intel and collaborating with various parties to ensure
he’s prepared on race day. During the
run-up to the Grand Prix, he spends a
lot of time in briefings.
“We have our engineering meeting…the tire guys, the strategy guys,
the vehicle dynamics. They’re telling
you all the different challenges that
we’ll face,” he explains. “I write those
things down. Then after that meeting,
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I have a document that I read—
a document that my engineers have
put together, which is highlighting the
things we’ve learned from the previous race.… So I do that research [and]
write it down so I’m mentally prepared.”
When you encounter a situation
with multiple stakeholders, or find
yourself the center of an information-transmission scenario, keep
detailed personal notes and copies
of any reports or related materials.
It may sound simple, but the ability
to reference them later (and, thus,
efficiently move between teams and
sub-teams while collecting intel)
can prove invaluable.
 Embrace Trial and Error.
Ultimately, Lewis says, it’s incumbent
on each individual to “find what works
for you.” But he also offers a caveat: In
the pursuit of those learnings, it’s okay
if you don’t hit the mark one hundred
percent of the time. For example,
Lewis has learned that while Formula 1
engineers can study data for hours, he
absorbs information better when
given occasional breaks; about thirty
minutes into a cram session, he’ll
need a breather to “get up, shake off,”
and hydrate in order to operate at a
high level. This type of self-knowledge
is critical to his ongoing success—
and a reason that he remains a perennial front-runner in Formula 1, even
after more than a decade in the series.
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“I’ve been tweaking each year.
Even at the end of this season, I will
write down how the year’s gone. I
reflect on it,” he says. “I’m constantly
modifying how much time I give,
whether it’s my stretching or I’m adding something new that I’ve learned
during the week. I don’t think I’m ever
gonna stop evolving that, because
there’s still more potential.”
Because every work environment (and every person) is unique,
Lewis doesn’t necessarily believe
in received wisdom. But he has
managed to find what works for
him. He encourages you—and anybody hoping to operate at a high
level in their chosen field—to do
the same.
A S S I G N M E N T
Personal
Performance
Analysis
Dedicate a notebook to recording the ongoing
pursuit of your goals, both short- and long-term.
Use these pages to log setbacks you encounter,
as well as breakthroughs you experience, making sure to detail the conditions—where you
were, who was there, how you felt, the steps you
took (or neglected) in preparing. When you’ve
filled the notebook, review its contents, looking
for patterns. Can you find a correlation between
certain factors and your wins? Your losses?
What changes could you make to increase your
chances of succeeding in the future?
26
V A L U I N G YOUR
PERSPECTIVE
Claiming your worth in order to unlock
the true power of individualism
27
Motorsport has been Lewis’s passion since childhood, in no small
part because it offered him a path to
claiming his self-worth—something
he struggled with in school, where
he was bullied and ostracized.
“I found this love.…When I put
that helmet on, I could be whoever
I wanted to be,” Lewis says. “It’s my
cape. I could be Superman. And
when I was in that kart, I was able to
do things that the others around
me weren’t able to do.”
 Committing to the Search.
Claiming your worth is an ongoing
project, and it’s a challenge. But Lewis’s
story suggests that it’s not only possible—it’s essential. Before you can strive
for success and fulfillment, you must
find that place inside yourself that feels
certain of a central truth: I am, and that
is enough, and I can.
That certainty may come serendipitously, as it did when when Lewis
happened to climb into a go-kart
during a family vacation and uncover
his own natural ability. Or it could be
incumbent on you to court serendipity—to put yourself in situations that
invite opportunity. The particulars
aren’t as important as the concept: If
you’re dedicated to the search, you’ll
discover what confirms (and feeds)
your feelings of inherent value.
Lewis has become more vocal about
social inequity in recent years,
promoting anti-racist messaging and
taking a knee in solidarity with
the Black Lives Matter movement,
inspiring other drivers on the
Formula 1 grid to do the same
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 Coping With Failure.
Knowing that you’re enough doesn’t
mean you’re ready to achieve greatness. Natural ability is only one tool,
the easiest one to grab. Desire is also
a tool; the willingness to learn is a
tool; the courage to fail is a tool. As
Lewis reminds you, succeeding
means being prepared to use these
tools, to accept knowledge, to
change what needs to be changed,
and to remain open to experiences
that challenge you.
Remember, too, that Lewis spent
more than a decade climbing the ladder to Formula 1, frequently joining
new series. Sometimes, he won the
championship in his rookie season;
other times, he came in fifth or twentieth. One year, he crashed so much
that he wondered whether he had
what it took to race professionally.
Lewis before the 2020 Styrian Grand
Prix in Spielberg, Austria, wearing
a custom helmet emblazoned with a
Black Lives Matter logo
Enduring multiple failures—especially those that feel so profound,
they make you question your path—
is part of the process.
 Doing the Ongoing Work.
Claiming worth means continuing
to claim worth. People will doubt
you. Don’t let their negativity influence your interior voice. Instead,
find ways to reconnect with your
superpower, then reassess and
commit to reaffirming your confidence. Make your worth into an
inexhaustible wellspring that’s
always at your disposal. Lewis
invokes the words of the American
poet and civil rights activist Maya
Angelou: “Nothing can dim the light
which shines from within.”
Of course, none of this is easy. But
it can be done. Here, Lewis offers
some advice: “The most important
thing that I’ve learned is investing in
you, investing in yourself—that’s not
about spending money on yourself,
it’s about taking care of yourself,
looking at what’s gonna benefit you
in the long run.”
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 Turning Worth Into Strength.
Since his earliest days racing
go-karts, Lewis has been one of the
very few Black people—or the only
Black person—on his team. Taunts
and abuse followed him into motorsport’s highest ranks; when he made
his Formula 1 debut in 2007, fans
arrived at the circuit wearing racist
costumes. Lewis didn’t say anything.
Neither did his team or the race officials. The flip side of claiming your
worth, he now suggests, is accepting
that you might not be like anyone
else around you, including your peers,
and making the choice to embrace
yourself regardless.
“If you feel like you don’t fit in, that’s
not a weakness. That’s a strength,”
Lewis emphasizes. “It took me a long
time to realize, as a youngster, coming through school and coming to
those kart races, that being different
was not a bad thing at all.”
 Continuing to Push.
Lewis spent years asking himself:
Why isn’t there more diversity in my
field? He’s become increasingly
focused on bringing that dialogue to
the forefront. During the 2020 Styrian Grand Prix post-race ceremony,
Mercedes-AMG engineer Stephanie
Travers joined Lewis in the winner’s
circle to accept a trophy on behalf of
the team; in that moment, she made
history as the first Black woman to
ever set foot on a Formula 1 podium.
“It’s the first time I’ve been up there
with anybody else of color,” Lewis says
of celebrating alongside Travers. At
the same time, commentary surrounding the moment made him
acknowledge the work that lies ahead.
“At one point, someone said, ‘Oh, see?
Diversity.’ And I was like, ‘You're kind of
getting it. But it’s still a long way to go.’ ”
THE HAMILTON COMMISSION
CHANGE IN MOTION
Inside Lewis’s push to increase
diversity in racing
In 2019, when Lewis looked at the end-of-year photo for his
Mercedes-AMG Petronas team, he was struck by the lack
of people of color. It fueled his desire to improve representation in racing’s top ranks, and he soon formed The Hamilton Commission; this special task force, working with
England’s Royal Academy of Engineering, launched a longterm fact-finding mission “to understand the specific barriers to the recruitment and progression of Black people
within U.K. motorsport.”
The Commission released its report in 2021, following
an intense, ten-month research process. Based on the
findings—which confirmed unequal expulsion rates
among schoolchildren and unsympathetic workplaces—the Commission offers ten actionable recommendations for Formula 1 to increase representation.
“The ultimate goal is to make [motorsport] more
diverse, create a better pipeline for young people from
Black backgrounds to get into engineering and [science,
technology, math, and engineering] subjects,” Lewis says.
Helping others to claim their worth is an important
aspect here—whether they end up in motorsport or not.
So, too, is a more blunt confrontation of the structural
issues that make this inner strength necessary. In the
report, Lewis offered up a powerful recollection of his own
secondary-school experience to drive home the point: “No
matter how hard I worked, I was told I wasn’t smart enough,
that I had no potential. At the time of releasing this report,
I’m a seven-time World Champion, holding the highest
number of wins, poles, and podium finishes in the world of
Formula 1. I am the same boy who got told he’d never
achieve anything. The one thing that connects that boy
with me today is opportunity.”
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R E F I N I N G THE
FORMULA
A few words on self-improvement
31
 Create Structure, Allow Rewards.
No matter your endeavor (or where
you are on that journey), Lewis suggests laying out formalized goals and
focusing on discipline. That doesn’t
mean each day needs to be regimented; you might start small, designating a regular time to practice your
passion, habitualizing physical exercise or meditation, or prescribing set
hours for sleep. It’s up to you. And it’s
okay to add incentives.
“Staying on course, staying on target, and giving yourself some sort of
reward at the end,” Lewis says. “It
really helps to know that, at the end,
there’s something positive.”
Driving a Formula 1 car might not be
your dream—and that’s okay!
Because the point of Lewis’s class
isn’t (necessarily) to prepare you for
the rigors of high-speed, wheel-towheel competition. Rather, it’s to
explore the ways in which somebody
at the top of their field continually
rises to the challenge. Over the
course of his three decades in
motorsport, encompassing both
unprecedented success and heartbreaking defeats, Lewis has continued to work on himself. Even now,
with his legacy firmly cemented, he’s
still courting this personal evolution,
ensuring that he remains competitive and contented in his racing
career—and beyond. He’s learned
a few truths on his journey.
 Replenish Yourself.
“Recovery is something that I definitely neglected when I was younger,
because you always have energy and
you just get on with things,” Lewis
admits. “But as you get older, if you
neglect those things—you start to
feel those with more injuries, tightness throughout the body.”
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For him, recovery can mean yoga
or pilates. It can also mean reflecting.
This is how we mentally process
events, evaluate them, and, ideally,
glean meaning so that we do better
the next time around. At the conclusion of each racing season, Lewis
works on himself and considers what
must be done to improve the following season, even if he’s won another
World Championship.
 Listen to Your Body.
After educating himself on nutrition
and weaning himself off meat for six
months, Lewis now counts himself
as a devoted vegan. “There have
been a lot of positive effects in terms
of more consistent energy, more
prolonged energy, clearer thoughts,
just overall more efficient,” he says.
“I really did not envision just how
great it would be.”
Vegetarianism or veganism might
not be for you. But Lewis believes
that becoming more attuned to what
your body needs in order to perform—in terms of diet, and
beyond—is crucial to setting yourself up for success. “What will work
for me won’t always necessarily work
for you,” Lewis says. “It’s about
encouraging you to find what works
for you. You’re unique and powerful
and amazing. Believe in yourself.
This is what this is about.”
A S S I G N M E N T
Create a
Self-Care Plan
Building on the knowledge gained from your
Personal Performance Analysis (see page 26),
create an overarching, holistic document to help
guide you through personal and professional
challenges, support your well-being, and attain
your goals. It can encompass physical, spiritual,
psychological, or relationship-based activities
that make you feel stronger. Keep your plan in a
visible space, like on the refrigerator, and practice the activities regularly. Build in periodic
re-assessments (one month, three months, etc.)
and keep refining until you’re firing on all cylinders!
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CONTINUING
EDUCATION
Use the principles that Lewis
discusses during his class to curate
a well-rounded bookshelf
Study Your Idols.
Build Mental Toughness.
The Life of Senna
by Tom Rubython (2004)
The Four Agreements
by don Miguel Ruiz (1997)
Decades after his untimely death, the
legacy of Brazil’s Ayrton Senna, the
three-time Formula 1 World Champion,
remains a source of endless fascination for both racing
fans and drivers, including Lewis. This deeply researched,
600-page tome provides a detailed look at Senna’s journey, including his disorienting arrival in Europe as a young
racer, his intense spirituality and philosophical approach
to driving, and his place in the popular imagination of his
home country, where his triumphs on a global stage (and
regional efforts to reduce poverty) made him a hero.
Drawing on principles and learnings
from ancient Mesoamerican culture,
the title of this bestselling guide
alludes to a set of pacts that you make with yourself: (1)
Be impeccable with your word, (2) Don’t take anything
personally, (3) Don’t make assumptions, and (4) Always
do your best. Top pro athletes have credited The Four
Agreements with helping them overcome fear of failure
and criticism; indeed, Lewis has cited the book as a
resource to which he turns when he needs to remain
focused in the face of scrutiny.
Work to Create Change.
Bring Your Body Along.
Long Walk to Freedom
by Nelson Mandela (1994)
The Heart of Yoga
by T. K. V. Desikachar (1999)
Lewis, like millions of other people
around the world, was inspired by
Nelson Mandela and his story: The
son of a regional tribal chief in South Africa, he took up
the fight for racial equality, spent twenty-seven years in
prison for doing so, and, after his release, led negotiations to end apartheid. He later became the first Black
president of South Africa, advocating for peaceful reconciliation among the country’s citizens, regardless of
color, until his death in 2013. His autobiography, Long
Walk to Freedom, is a modern classic.
Stripped of pretense, the word
yoga means to yoke or unite,
referring to the union of the
human and divine consciousnesses. It’s a thoroughly personal journey—one that, in Western modernity, focuses on
controlled breathing while moving through a series of
physical poses. Lewis has come to rely on yogic exercise
(along with pilates) to improve his core strength and active
recovery. T. K. V. Desikachar’s essential volume offers a
no-nonsense entry point to yoga, going beyond the physical and encouraging self-care via self-discovery. It’s recommended for athletes and nonathletes alike.
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35
You can’t change the past.
It’s behind you. All you can
do is prepare yourself
to shape the future.
LEWIS
36
Credits
VARIOUS STILLS
Courtesy Backgrid; Getty Images;
Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Limited
VARIOUS FOOTAGE
Courtesy AP Archive; BBC Studios;
FORMULA 1® images © Formula One Administration
Limited 2007-2010 inclusive and Formula One
World Championship Limited 2011-2020 inclusive;
Getty Images; Lola Clips / ITV Archive;
Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Limited; Pond5
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