Lewis Hamilton’s comments to Takuma Sato after winning the Formula One race at Japan have sparked discussion as to whether or not he will race in the Indianapolis 500 one day. Should we take his comments seriously?
Following three-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton’s eighth win of the 2017 Formula One season at the Japanese Grand Prix, this year’s Indianapolis 500 champion Takuma Sato, who hails from Tokyo, Japan, interviewed the race’s three podium finishers: Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo, who finished in 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, respectively.
Sato wore his Indianapolis 500 championship ring during the interview, and Hamilton immediately took notice. He began talking about the ring and the race from which Sato won it.
Here is what Hamilton said to Sato.
"“Wow, you’ve got some bling, where did this come from?! I love that, I need that ring! Can I try this ring? Can I see if it’s worth me doing it one day? It looks pretty good!”"
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Obviously, Hamilton is referring to the Indianapolis 500 and whether or not it would be worth it for him to go and drive in the race one day.
However, should we really take his comments seriously after the comments he made earlier this year about the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”? This past May when two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso went to race in the Indianapolis 500, Hamilton did not speak very highly of the event or its competitors.
"“I took a look at the qualifying results. Fernando, in his first qualifying, came fifth. Does that say something about [the level] of IndyCar? Great drivers, if they can’t succeed in Formula One, look for titles in other races, but to see him come fifth against drivers who do this all year round is…interesting.”"
What he’s implying is that it would be a waste of time to go over for an IndyCar race and beat a huge chunk of the field even with no experience behind the wheel of one of those cars. So would he really actually consider driving in the race one day, even after his Formula One career ends?
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However, Hamilton has been known to do what’s “trendy”, and that includes fashion statements. So don’t be surprised if the “bling” of Sato’s ring actually lures him overseas to Speedway, Indiana on Memorial Day Sunday within the next few years, as silly as that may sound. Don’t rule it out.