Hamilton not driven by recognition in F1

Lewis Hamilton insists he is not driven by being recognised for his achievements in Formula 1 following his title success in 2019.

The Briton secured his sixth world championship at the US Grand Prix earlier this month, putting him one title behind the all-time record held by Michael Schumacher.

Following the race, Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel ventured to the podium room to congratulate Hamilton, which the 34-year-old admits is "an honour".

However, Hamilton says that the recognition is not what he strives for in F1, stating the respect between the drivers is an "amazing" aspect of the sport.

"Recognition is not something that drives me," he said. "But it definitely it is an honour when you have other drivers, particularly with Seb, that you respect so much for their ability.

"Over the years you have commented over their ability and you have belief in their ability and you’ve then built a rapport that is constantly growing. And for them to take a moment and show that bit of respect is amazing.

"Because each of us knows how hard it is to do what we do. Us 20 drivers, particularly, know how hard it is to do what we do and only a few of us really truly know how hard it is to win on a consistent basis year on year and Seb is one of those."

Hamilton also revealed that he received a congratulatory text message from Fernando Alonso, who was Hamilton's first teammate in F1. 

"It is really awesome. I got a text from Fernando as well which was pretty amazing," Hamilton said. "I was really grateful for that.

"We have been through a whirlwind of experiences together over the years and in all honestly I have always had respect for what he has achieved and his ability , and also seeing his growth through his period of time at McLaren."