Felipe Massa: Lewis Hamilton needs to focus on racing

10 June 2016 09:23

Lewis Hamilton's whirlwind lifestyle is a problem for his Formula One career and will cause him to drop points this season, Felipe Massa has warned.

Hamilton, who is bidding to become the first British driver to win four championships, courted criticism earlier this season after he posted a series of videos in which he was drinking tequila from a bottle and smoking a shisha pipe in a Miami nightclub.

The incident took place in the aftermath of the Russian Grand Prix - the scene of his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg's fourth win in as many races - and naturally led to questions about the Briton's focus.

"He is preparing for his second life after Formula One and it can be a problem for his career," Williams driver Massa, who was beaten by Hamilton to the title by a single point back in 2008, told Press Association Sport. "It can maybe take some concentration away, and on some days it can make him lose points.

"He needs to think about his lifestyle. He needs to concentrate, and he needs to put in the first place what is more important for him."

Hamilton, 24 points adrift of Rosberg heading into Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix, admitted to taking his eye off the ball after he wrapped up his third championship in America last October.

Rosberg won the ensuing three grands prix of last term before extending that streak to seven by winning the opening four races of the new campaign.

"Winning the last three races of last year, and using what happened to Lewis - who won the championship, just went to party and was giving maybe less concentration to his races - helped Nico a lot to start the season at the top," Massa added.

"Lewis had some bad luck, but he also had so many things such as bad starts.

"Maybe he was working with less intensity on the new start-system compared to Nico. Nico now has a good margin that can definitely help him for the championship.

"Nico is fighting in every way he can to win this championship, and he he knows and understands 100 per cent that one point can be very important at the end. He is trying to do anything in his way to gain points but also not lose points at every race."

Hamilton has prepared for the Canadian Grand Prix - a venue where he has won on four previous occasions - by spending time with pop star Justin Bieber as well as attending Brazil's Copa America opener against Ecuador alongside Barcelona forward Neymar.

Sunday's race in Montreal begins a mammoth run of six grands prix in eight weeks, but Hamilton, 31, said: "Honestly, I always have so much energy. I think for us drivers and for the team it's going to be a very tiring period, travelling so much. But for me personally, I travel easily.

"I adjust to time differences easily. It's just making sure you're eating well and getting enough sleep. I've got a goal, to win all those races, so it's not particularly difficult to prepare for it."

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Source: PA