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Lewis Hamilton has admitted to feeling shorter physically heading into the 2022 F1 Canadian GP race weekend. The 37-year-old has been vocal about the potential damage being done to the health of F1 drivers in both the short and long term.
The FIA has responded with a new set of directives aimed at ensuring teams do not pursue performance at the expense of drivers' health.
In a pre-race press conference at the Circuit de Gilles-Villeneuve, a New York Times reporter told Lewis Hamilton about the potential damage to drivers' spinal discs and the possibility of small brain haemorrhages in the future, according to a medical expert from the World Federation of Neurosurgeons. The seven-time world champion responded by saying:
“Yeah, I mean, putting the technical side of stuff aside, I think just to reiterate, we definitely cannot…I cannot stress how important health is for us. I think we’ve got an amazing sport here, but safety has to be paramount, it has to be the most important thing. And it’s interesting here, and I have not spoken to him or a specialist on discs, but I can definitely feel like I’m a little bit shorter this week. And my discs are definitely not in the best shape right now. And that’s not good for longevity.”
He continued:
“And there are things that we can do to improve that for all the drivers here. We want to arrive and do our job and put on a great show and race the safest and there is no need for us to have long-term injuries. So yeah, I just think we just need to work closely with the FIA and not take it lightly, which I don’t think they are and continue to pursue it.”
Last weekend's Azerbaijan GP had a major impact on Hamilton's back, as was made evident when he struggled to exit his Mercedes in an allotted time of ten seconds.
"I can’t express the pain that you experience" - Lewis Hamilton after 2022 F1 Azerbaijan GP ordeal
Lewis Hamilton had to race through the pain at the Baku City Circuit last weekend, admitting to biting down on his teeth for adrenaline to help him cross the line.
Speaking to the media after his P4 finish at the 2022 F1 Azerbaijan GP, the Mercedes driver said:
“That’s the only thing. Biting down on my teeth through pain and just adrenaline. I can’t express the pain that you experience, particularly on the straight here. At the end, you’re just praying for it to end. We’re in such a good position still, we got third and fourth which is a great result for the team. The team did a great job with the strategy, once we fix this bouncing, we’re going to be right there in a race but we’re losing over a second just with bouncing, for sure. Or at least a second with bouncing.”
Approaching the 2022 F1 Canadian GP, Lewis Hamilton only has one podium finish to his name in the season opener in Bahrain and is sixth in the World Drivers' Championship standings with 62 points.
