Lewis Hamilton has admitted that it is an "awesome" feeling to prove his doubters wrong, after some of them criticized him for his lifestyle off the race tracks.
The three-time Formula One racing champion has had to endure a number of criticisms from people for his off-track activities. These critics claim that these extracurricular activities may have affected his form and focus, specifically during his last three races in 2015, which he lost to his teammate and rival, Nico Rosberg.
Former McLaren driver John Watson has since changed his views regarding the British-born racer's lifestyle choices. Meanwhile, Hamilton himself says it's "awesome" that he's proven his critics wrong. "I like that view and -- including myself -- in general I think it's easy for all of us to get stuck in our ways and in our views," he said, according to ESPN.
Regarding Watson's recent endorsement of him, Hamilton added: "Sometimes we're not open-minded about things and being willing to shift your perception or your opinions. I think it's taken a long time, it's been ten years! I've definitely seen plenty of interesting stories from him so it's nice that is the case. For me, I just live the life the way I want to live it and there's not a day goes by that I regret living it."
Hamilton, who has gone on to overturn a 43-point deficit to his teammate Rosberg, went on to remark that it is important to embrace whatever opportunity lies ahead and that one needs to forget about the past and set one's mind on the next goal.
Meanwhile, Hamilton has expressed his belief that the Formula One championship battle for this year may be particularly intense due to several changes in the technical regulations such as the production of faster cars with bigger tires and the freeing up of engine development that could reshuffle the order, according to Auto Sport.
"If it is the last year [of Mercedes dominance] I want to make sure that I maximize it so there's no shortcuts and there's no rest really during the year," Hamilton said.
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