Lewis Hamilton has responded back to the criticism for his move from Mercedes to Ferrari in a recent interview.
The seven-time world champion is all geared up to make his Ferrari debut this year and is currently taking part in pre-testing in Bahrain, where he was the quickest in the morning session on Thursday, February 27.
In an interview with Time magazine, he addressed the disapproval he has received from former F1 team chief Eddie Jordan and former chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.
"I've always welcomed the negativity," the 40-year-old racer shared.
Hamilton dismissed their remarks as comments from "white men" as he noted, "I never, ever reply to any of the older, ultimately, white men who have commented on my career and what they think I should be doing. How you show up, how you present yourself, how you perform slowly dispels that."
During the No. 44's big move, Jordon questioned the wisdom of Ferrari signing and letting Carlos Sainz go, while Ecclestone wondered about Hamilton's motivation behind the move and gave him a maximum of two years survival time in his new team.
"Don't ever compare me to anybody else. I'm the first and only Black driver that's ever been in this sport. I'm built different. I've been through a lot. I've had my own journey," the British driver stated.
While highlighting the important of F1 in his life, Hamilton added, "You can't compare me to another 40-year-old past or present, Formula One driver in history. Because they are nothing like me. I'm hungry, driven, don't have a wife and kids I'm focused on one thing, and that's winning. That's my No 1 priority."
The legendary racer in F1 sports has signed a multi-year contract with Ferrari, where he will team-up with Charles Leclerc.
Sharing his plans to quit the game he noted, "Retirement is nowwhere on my radar. I could be here until i'm 50, who knows,"
He concluding the interview with appreciating his new team, "I know where i need to go. I know how to get there. It's far, and its going to be tough to get there, but I know I've got all the ingredients, all the people, and amazing team around me."
The 2025 season will mark his 19th season in F1 and comes after 12 years of Mercedes with whom he has won six of his seven titles.
Lewis Hamilton is looking to secure his record-breaking eighth world championship in 2025 season, which is set to kick off on Sunday March 16, 2025 in Melbourne.
