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Jay Shetty Podcast

Lewis Hamilton ON: EVERYTHING You've Been Taught About Success Is A LIE... | Jay Shetty

Today, I am talking to Lewis Hamilton, 7-time Formula1 world champion, with over a hundred race wins, considered the most successful F1 driver of all time. In 2014, Lewis won BBC's Sports Personality of the Year.

Lewis HamiltonguestJay Shettyhost

Jan 23, 20231h 10mWatch on YouTube

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CHAPTERS

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Chapter summaries

Never Giving Up: The Hardest Part of Becoming Who He Is
After Jay Shetty's introduction of Lewis Hamilton and his achievements, he asks what was hardest on the road to who Lewis is today. Lewis says it was keeping belief in himself and continuing to hold on despite teachers, bullying and discrimination.
- •Lewis says the hardest thing was keeping belief in himself since he was young
- •He was told by teachers he would never amount to anything
- •He says giving up is the easiest thing and continuing is the hardest
- •Jay notes people assume someone like Lewis never has to make that choice
- •This is Lewis's first ever podcast
School Trauma, Bullying and Racing as a Cloak
Lewis describes school as the most traumatizing part of his life: bullying from age six, racism, a lack of representation in history lessons, and an undiagnosed dyslexia. He explains how he suppressed his feelings and channeled them into racing, with his helmet as a superhero cloak. Jay shares his own experience of being bullied.
- •Bullied from age six as one of very few kids of color
- •Racist taunts and no people of color in history lessons
- •Dyslexia was found at 16 thanks to a caring teacher
- •Put in the lowest sets and never allowed to progress
- •Hid his pain from his parents and used racing and Superman imagery to channel emotion
Parents, Biracial Identity and Facing Exclusion in Racing
Jay asks how it felt to meet exclusion in racing too. Lewis talks about the contrast between his soft, loving mum and his strong dad, being biracial, and how his mum could not understand the racial slurs. He hopes his posts are a positive wave for kids.
- •Racing offered escape but he was confronted with exclusion there too
- •His mum taught him compassion and empathy
- •His dad told him to do his talking on the track
- •His dad understood racial slurs while his mum had not been educated about Black history
- •Lewis hopes his posts help kids distracted by world events
His Relationship With His Dad Through Racing and Formula 1
Lewis recounts how his dad worked four jobs and served as his mechanic and manager, with his stepmum and little brother on the road. The pressures of Formula 1 strained their bond, leading Lewis to part ways with his dad as manager before they rebuilt their relationship.
- •His dad worked four jobs to keep him go-karting
- •His brother has cerebral palsy and is a speaker and racer
- •His dad found it hard to show love, and in Formula 1 Lewis had no PR support
- •They bumped heads and he parted ways with his dad as manager
- •His dad is now the first person he calls after a race
Short-Lived Success and Fighting for Something Bigger
Jay asks about the psychology of winning and losing. Lewis explains that report cards and racing made him feel he had to be first to be accepted, but success is short-lived and followed by a comedown. He now sees himself as fighting for change in the world and has learned tools like yoga and meditation.
- •Fear of school reports and a need to be first to be accepted
- •Success is short-lived and followed by an emotional comedown
- •He is fighting for change rather than just winning races
- •He says he didn't have yoga, meditation or podcasts as a kid
- •Jay says purpose is using what makes you happy to serve others
Fear of Judgment and Choosing a Purpose: Education and Diversity
Lewis says people often live in fear of what others think, while he has never been a follower. He explains how he chose education and diversity as causes, the conversations he has with his boss and sponsors, and the black Mercedes car in 2020 that won his seventh title.
- •People live in fear of how they will be judged
- •It took a long time to find which cause to focus on
- •Seeing children begging in India and Manila drove his passion for education
- •He asks sponsors how diverse their teams are
- •The car was changed from silver to black in 2020 and won his seventh title
Loneliness of Racing and Taking the Knee in 2020
Jay asks whether it is lonely racing with only 20 drivers. Lewis speaks about rivalries and trying to mentor younger drivers, then about crying in 2020 for the first time in years and taking the knee in a hidden Black Lives Matter shirt after the murder of George Floyd.
- •Drivers have a lot in common but can't show liking each other
- •Lewis tries to be a positive light and create allies among young drivers
- •His dad never let him cry, and in 2020 he cried for the first time in about ten years
- •He wore a hidden Black Lives Matter shirt rather than the sport's slogan shirt
- •He let go of the fear of losing partners
Hamilton Commission and the Need for Representation
Lewis shares research showing only 3% diversity among 2,000 people on his team and describes hiring barriers uncovered by the Hamilton Commission. He discusses the diversity charter and why visible representation matters for young people.
- •Only 3% of the team's 2,000 people were diverse
- •The sport hires from a narrow group of universities
- •Young Black graduates are less likely to be hired and are paid less
- •He is working on a diversity charter for all teams
- •Representation on TV shows kids there is a place for them
Healing, Vulnerability and Overcoming Fear
Jay says Lewis was healing himself while helping heal the world. Lewis talks about the protective layers fame builds, becoming more open and no longer living in fear. He shares his Maya Angelou quote, skydiving, and feeling most at peace at 200 mph.
- •He was oblivious to needing healing and has peeled back layers
- •Media and social media make people build protection mechanisms
- •He now lives a happier life by being more open
- •Favorite quote: 'We are all powerful beyond measure'
- •He loves skydiving and finds overcoming fear rewarding
Life After Racing: Mission 44 and Other Passions
Lewis says that retiring after 30 years of racing will leave a big hole, and he sees Mission 44 as more rewarding than winning. Jay recalls Kobe Bryant's happy retirement, and they discuss athletes who fall apart without other interests.
- •Racing for 30 years means there will be a big hole when he stops
- •Mission 44 is more rewarding than winning a race
- •Jay recalls Kobe Bryant finding purpose after retirement
- •Athletes are put in a box and some struggle after they retire
- •Lewis is building other passions and says he will stay competitive
Mindset Tools, Trust and Building Allies
Jay asks what routines help Lewis stay comfortable with his own thoughts. Lewis describes stretching, yoga, meditation, daily intentions, speaking to someone he trusts, and his struggle to build trust. He explains Ignite and Mission 44.
- •He focuses for an hour and 45 minutes in a race and can lose up to 10 pounds
- •He now uses stretching, yoga and meditation
- •He sets daily intentions and tries to be kind to himself
- •Having someone to confide in has helped, and trust was hard to build
- •Ignite targets motorsport pipelines while Mission 44 tackles societal barriers and education
Selflessness, Core Values and Team Transformation
Asked what blocks progress on diversity, Lewis says he doesn't have the answer and offers theories. He talks about learning to be selfless, shining your light, and how his team grew closer in a hard 2022, including diversity training. Jay contrasts leaders with followers of trends.
- •Lewis has no definitive answer for why progress is slow
- •People may be too overwhelmed to take risks, and selflessness is hard without self-love
- •Shining your light encourages others to do the same
- •His team opened up and did diversity training in 2022
- •Sustainability and core values matter more than trends
Trying to Be Better, Storytelling and Heroes
Lewis says he is far from perfect and has had to break down his barriers to find his purpose. He discusses his production company, the Formula 1 film, and movies like Race and 42. He recalls meeting Nelson Mandela, and Jay says Lewis is one of the most on-purpose people he has interviewed.
- •He says it's about trying to be better one step at a time
- •Breaking down his barriers helped him feel he belongs and has a purpose
- •His production company aims for diversity on and off screen
- •Being the first and only in his sport has been lonely
- •Meeting Nelson Mandela at his 90th birthday was hugely impactful
Fast Five and Closing Thoughts
Jay runs his Fast Five questions. Lewis answers on advice, loss and success, materialism and wealth inequality, and Jay offers emotional mastery education as his law. They close with thanks and a call to share the episode.
- •Best advice: never give up from his dad, and keep learning, per Mandela
- •Worst advice: give up, which a parent and a teacher told him as a child
- •Success is short-lived and failures are the base of the iceberg
- •He no longer values material things and prefers memories and balance
- •His law would limit wealth for equality, and Jay's would be emotional mastery in schools

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