AUSTIN — Lewis Hamilton says he still finds it strange to see his achievements recognised by athletes such as NFL star Tom Brady, despite being on the verge of a sixth Formula One world championship.
Hamilton can win the title at Sunday’s U.S. Grand Prix by finishing eighth or higher. Ahead of the race, New England Patriots QB Tom Brady — himself a six-time champion — praised the Mercedes driver’s « exceptional » talent.
When Brady’s comments were put to him by ESPN’s Ryan McGee in an interview for Sports Centre, Hamilton said: « First of all, it’s surreal if I’m being honest, because [I grew up] watching these incredible athletes be the ones that are right at the top.
« I’ve seen him playing at his best, again, at a Super Bowl against Atlanta and just performing miracles, and it’s interesting, because as I’ve gone through my career I’ve been fortunate enough to meet the top athletes, with [Novak] Djokovic and [Rafael] Nadal and Tom.
« To get to a place where you start to see a common ground between yourselves and you start to realize that you actually have a lot in common in terms of how you prepare and the struggles that you go through mentally, and you can learn a lot from these people.
« When you get positive words from a great like Tom it’s really warming to the heart and I’m very grateful for the fact that he even knows my name, it’s so cool, man. »
Hamilton starts the U.S. Grand Prix from fifth position. The race is being broadcast live in the U.S. on ABC at 14:10 ET.
http://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/27997878/lewis-hamilton-surreal-tom-brady-even-knows-my-name
