Hamilton: "I don't live for recognition, I don't work for recognition"

Hamilton expressed in a press conference, "I don't live for recognition, I don't work for recognition", referring to being the first black driver to compete in Formula One when asked if he felt properly recognized in England.

But he added, "I don't pay much attention to the fact that things could be different if I were white, I don't think about those things."

The winner of six championships, the British driver will compete this weekend in the Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix, held at the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo, where he admitted that he always feels the presence of Brazilian motorsport legend Ayrton Senna, who passed away in 1994.

"I've always been motivated by the legend of Ayrton Senna, I always wanted to be like him," he acknowledged.

Regarding his future in Formula One, Hamilton assured that he remains "motivated" to conquer more championships and emphasized, "I'm not going to stop anytime soon. I love what I do and I want to continue."

The driver stated that he "loves" Interlagos, "one of the classic races" in motorsport, and therefore, he is not a great enthusiast about the possibility of the Brazilian Grand Prix being held in Rio de Janeiro, a city that aspires to host the competition from 2021 onwards.

"If they change the race to there, it won't have the same history as it does in Interlagos. It is a privilege to race on this track and I hope it continues like this," he emphasized.

In this sense, the driver believes that "there is a lot of money" behind the construction of new racetracks and that Brazil already has a "historical circuit", so it should invest "in other sectors" and avoid environmental destruction.

"I don't want to race on a new track that has destroyed a natural territory. We have to think about future generations, the scenario is getting worse and worse," he said.

Hamilton, a staunch environmental advocate, also expressed support for the necessary changes for Formula One to be completely carbon-free by 2030, a goal he considers "quite reasonable".

When asked about two of his biggest rivals, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and Max Verstappen (Red Bull), Hamilton analyzed that both of them "have been very aggressive in their styles" and they are "future champions", although he avoided predicting who will win the title in Brazil.

"As long as I'm here, I hope I can stop them from winning the championship," the driver joked.