14 July,2017 08:09 AM IST | London | PA Sport
Lewis Hamilton admitted for the first time that he believes his whirlwind lifestyle and decision to live away from Britain may have stalled his popularity at home
Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton admitted for the first time that he believes his whirlwind lifestyle and decision to live away from Britain may have stalled his popularity at home.
On Wednesday, he took the curious decision to snub the chance to appear in front of swathes of British fans in a spectacular parade of F1 cars through London, and went on holiday to Greece instead.
"I don't think I've done any wrongdoings to anyone in my life, and I never feel in any part of my day that I deserve anything," Hamilton said. "Does my love for the UK feel that it is reflected in equal amounts? I don't know. I think the love that I get when I go to the British Grand Prix is immense and when I've won Sports Personality of the Year in the past people have called in, so I've obviously had a lot of support. But do people know how much I love the UK? Maybe not enough.
"When I'm on the podium and I carry the flag, hopefully people will start to see my patriotism. It's something I'm very proud of and maybe that's just going to take time."
