Hamilton "excited" to switch up training programme for 2019

Lewis Hamilton is looking forward to changing up his training regime for next year, with new rules coming in to dictate the driver's weight. Currently, drivers are weighed along with the car, which hands an advantage to lighter drivers to use ballast as part of the car's set up.

However, next year the drivers will be weighed separately from the car, with the minimum weight expected to be 80kg (12st 5lb). Therefore, the weight in the cockpit should be much more even, as lighter drivers will no longer be at an advantage.

Hamilton currently weighs 66kg (10st 4lb) admits that his comfortable body weight is higher than what it currently is, and admits he is looking forward to gaining some weight without losing any advantage in the car.

"My comfortable weight is a little bit higher than I am and every year all the drivers, especially the taller and bigger boned ones are under more pressure to get skinnier," Hamilton said. "Next year the rules are changing which I think is cool.

"I’m excited as I can go and increase my intake and be a little bit heavier next year and be a lot stronger but I still want to be quick and sharp and responsive.

"Often big and bulky doesn’t mean you are quicker. Also weight up above means a higher centre of gravity which I don’t want to increase. Next year I am excited for the challenge next season changing my training programme into next year when I should be a different athlete."

Hamilton also opened up about his insecurities while also questioning the reality that people want you to believe on social media: "On social media I guess the problem is that we all see people in the limelight looking a certain way because they’ve got filters on or whatever it is. You don’t actually get a true representation of what the person is.

"I wake up sometimes and have my insecurities. I have a six pack but it is not as good as I would like. There are certain things that I have insecurities about like I am sure every single person has.

"As do all those people that are on social media who look perfect and you may aspire to be like. They also have insecurities. I guess I was trying to be a bit more open about an insecurity I may have. My legs aren’t an insecurity. My dad has chicken legs and I have chicken legs."

Fergal Walsh