Lewis Hamilton: Fired my dad, like Beyonce | Forward Progress

0:00Hey, it's Graham. Our past in-depth guests have shared so many inspirational stories about overcoming adversity and tackling the darkest and most challenging times in their lives. We're sharing one of those moments in today's Thursday podcast in the hope that it provides a blueprint for any difficulties you might be facing. This week, Lewis Hamilton.

0:25I was watching an interview your friend Beyonce did not too long ago with Oprah and Beyonce who was famously managed by her father for a long time was telling Oprah about how you know she knew for a while she was ready to cut professional ties with her father but it took a long time from when she first realized that to building up the courage to actually doing it. How similar was it for you? Exactly the same. I mean, it is very, very tough and you build that relationship with that person. They work from the ground up. They create something from nothing. And it's very hard for a parent to let go.

1:11It's so hard for the parent to let go and just realize that they've succeeded. and then, you know, now it's time to let them fly. You know, they've got the wings. It's time to let them fly on their own. I think that was to be able to get to that point and tell your parent that. And there's no really right way of doing it, you know. How do you do it? Either way, it's going to be an upset experience. It's going to be emotional one way or another. If it's not done right, it can be so detrimental to that relationship. And so I think probably for Beyonce and other sportsmen who've had those kind of relationships.

1:48That step, not wanting to break that person's heart because they've helped you get to where you are and have the wonderful life that you now have, to be able to tell them that, you know, I really want to start making decisions for myself. I need to learn, make my own mistakes and learn from those kind of things. That's like the hardest thing to do. I think it just got too intense at one point, and I was like, I just want to be, I want to go for a beer with you. I don't want to have to talk about business. I don't want to talk about business ever anymore. I want it to be lighthearted. I don't want us to have a joke.

2:22I want us to party. I want us to get to a point where it's just a great father-son relationship. Because when it's business involved, it's stressful. What was involved with getting from the point of cutting the professional ties to where you actually wanted the relationship to get to? Well, I'm still working on getting a relationship to. I wanted to get to, so it's taken a long time. And I guess really just getting on with it. And I mean, you've got to make the decision, you've got to go with it. And try then pick up the pieces afterwards. And you never know how long that's going to take. But I definitely am really happy where I am today.

3:06I'm more proud of the decisions that I've made to be where I am today. and naturally I owe who I am today and what I've achieved today to my family. And the fact is they've instilled good values in me and helped me. The decisions I make today are based on all these experiences I saw my dad do, you know. And I used that wise mental head that he helped put on my shoulders to be here today and have those championships. Your dad said to you when you were a young boy growing up, if you work hard in school, he'll support your racing career. And what's unique about your situation growing up is you guys didn't have a lot of money and Formula One's a sport where nepotism's common.

3:50You generally have to have a lot of money to have success, and your situation was anything but that. What do you remember from him holding three jobs growing up trying to make ends meet? I just remember my dad not really getting a lot of sleep. I remember him, I remember going on errands with him where you'd go and put, you know, I'd be sitting in the backseat of the car with this big solid bit of wood with the for sale signs for houses. Because you got paid per sign, right? Yeah. It was like 15 pounds or 10 pounds or something like that, you know. So we'd go around and go and drive to all these houses overnight and be putting up for sale signs and vending machine.

4:34He was just doing whatever he could to make a little bit of money. And then, you know, once he'd finished that, once he'd finished his day job, then doing that, then he'd be in the garage all night, cleaning, preparing my car, my go-kart, you know, getting it all ready for the next race. It was beautiful to see, you know, and there was some of the greatest moments was sitting, sitting in the garage and just watching him work, you know, and at some point, you know, him let me be a part of it. And then that journey we took when we get to the racetrack where we were the kind of uninvited guests and not particularly always welcomed.

5:17And we just, you know, me and him just kept our head down and we'd be in the back of our little box trailer with a little gas heater and a cup of noodle soup and some bacon sandwiches because my stepmom was really good at making those for us. And, you know, we just looked like, we kind of looked a bit like peasants, but we got out there and I thrashed this old crappy cart round and we beat people. And, you know, we would leave feeling just full of energy, full of great achievement. And that was really what it was about. It wasn't about, hey, we want to be Formula World Champions. That's not what we got into it for.

5:57we got into it because it was something for me my dad to do with me and vice versa and a way in which we could bond that's it for now but if you're hungry for more in-depth with Graham Bensinger interviews head over to youtube.com slash Graham Bensinger you can dive into our deep library which includes more than 2 ,000 clips spanning 12 plus years thanks again for listening