Lewis Hamilton’s dangerous stunt before the 2011 British Grand Prix proves how much F1 has changed

Follow us on Google Discover

As the Formula 1 teams take the sheets off their new cars for the 2026 season, excitement is building around what is expected to be one of the most unpredictable years ever.

There are new regulations, a new driver, returning drivers, and a new team to look out for in the coming months, and no one knows who will win the drivers’ championship.

Some have more to lose than others, with McLaren under pressure to continue their form, having just returned to the top of the pack. Ferrari, on the other hand, are relying on changes to improve.

The 2026 F1 regulations may well be Lewis Hamilton’s last hope before calling time on his career. An eighth title isn’t impossible, but feels like a reach currently.

Is a lack of confidence the REAL reason why Lewis Hamilton has struggled at Ferrari?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Hamilton is not ready to change his driving style and will be hoping that a new car suits his way of doing things.

1996 champion Damon Hill doesn’t expect Hamilton to last until the end of 2026, but that depends on how dismal the 24-race campaign ends up being.

READ MORE: Why McLaren changed Lewis Hamilton’s race engineer in 2010 amid Riccardo Adami switch

Lewis Hamilton’s dangerous jet ski stunt proves how much F1 has changed since the 2011 British Grand Prix

The Formula 1 environment has changed a lot over the last 15 years, and was very different when Hamilton drove for McLaren.

It was a different era when drivers were allowed to go and do their own thing and weren’t held down by as many contractual obligations.

Nowadays, many stars have a no-dangerous-sports clause, which prevents them from taking part in any activity that might injure them or rule them out of racing.

Ahead of the 2011 British Grand Prix, the BBC got Hamilton and teammate Jenson Button together to record a day of fun on jet skis.

Stuff like that doesn’t happen for good reason in 2026. Button fell off and hurt his leg, and said this about the incident afterwards:

“When I jumped off, I hit it on the ski. It’s alright. I think I’ll be at Silverstone, I’ll be alright. It’s OK, you don’t have to hit it [the brake] with it [left leg] that hard.”

READ MORE: Nico Rosberg once recalled the ‘traumatic’ experience he had with a Lewis Hamilton fan at Monza

How did Lewis Hamilton perform at the 2011 British Grand Prix?

Sadly, McLaren wouldn’t end up being that competitive at their home race that season, and qualifying saw both cars qualify outside the top four.

Fernando Alonso dominated to win his only race of the year by 16 seconds, but Hamilton put on an overtaking masterclass to go from 10th to fourth.

Button retired with a wheel issue, making it one of their most disappointing events in recent years at the time.

Nevertheless, their drivers had a lot of fun in the run-up to the event, and looking back on it as a fan is somewhat entertaining. It would be cool if something similar returned one day.