Lewis Hamilton shares the ‘quite amazing’ advice he was once given by Nelson Mandela, ‘long way to go…’

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Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton has experienced one of the toughest seasons of his career so far this year.

There was a lot of excitement surrounding Ferrari’s hopes this year when fans discovered that Charles Leclerc would be paired with the seven-time world champion.

However, after 13 race weekends, both Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are still searching for their first Grand Prix victory.

The most recent Belgian Grand Prix was another frustrating event for the 40-year-old.

Fans praised Hamilton’s race pace and decision-making, but errors in both qualifying sessions immediately put him on the back foot.

Hamilton has previously shared the inspirational story of how his father, Anthony, worked tirelessly to help him achieve his goal of becoming a Formula 1 driver.

Isack Hadjar witnessed firsthand how caring Hamilton’s father can be after his spin on his F1 debut in Australia.

Hamilton has now shared a meeting he once had with Nelson Mandela, and how the advice he was given is influencing his first year as a Ferrari driver.

READ MORE: Alex Jacques explains why Lewis Hamilton didn’t look like himself at the Belgian Grand Prix after Ferrari updates

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton says Nelson Mandela told him to never stop learning

Hamilton was asked in an interview with GadgetsBoy about the best advice he’s been given that applies to his racing and said: “The only one I remember from my dad was never give up.

“I never ever forget him telling me that when I was a kid.

“And then it was Nelson Mandela that was telling me, I just asked him if he had any advice for me, and he was like, I’m 90 years old today and I’m still learning.

“So, I was kind of like, jeez, you’re still learning at 90 years old, so I’ve got a long way to go.

“I thought that was quite an amazing mentality because I think there are definitely people who think that there’s no more to learn, and the fact is that you’re going to be learning every day.

“So, just for me, it’s about keeping an open mind. Don’t be so narrow-minded and stubborn in your ways.

“Always be ready to adapt and to evolve and to learn. This is very much a growth season for me. I’ve just joined a new team, I’m learning how it operates, I’m learning how they like to do things, and clearly, there’s so much passion within this team and within the people that support it.

“There are thousands of moving parts, so I’m clearly just a part of the chain that is on the move.

“But, I love being a part of that. I love being a part of everyone being focused on a common goal.”

READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

Ferrari staff applauded Lewis Hamilton during the Belgian Grand Prix

There were only 25 overtaking moves throughout Sunday’s race at Spa, and Hamilton was responsible for more of them than any other driver.

He went from 18th to 13th on track before opting to stop a lap earlier than all of his rivals, and leapfrogged six more drivers in the process.

Ferrari applauded Hamilton’s effort during the Belgian Grand Prix, and after a difficult start to the weekend, he seemed to make the most of the car’s new updates.

Mandela’s advice to Hamilton that you never stop learning is more prevalent than ever for the seven-time world champion this season.

Getting up to speed has taken longer than he would have liked, but the fact that he’s considering this a ‘growth season’ suggests there’s far more to come from Hamilton next year when the sport’s regulations change and the pecking order on the grid could completely change.