Lewis Hamilton claims he is trying to channel his inner Niki Lauda by giving F1’s youngsters a warm welcome to the grid. Franco Colapinto and Ollie Bearman both competed at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last weekend and put in impressive performances.
Colapinto has stepped in to replace Logan Sargeant at Williams for the final races of this season. He took 12th in Monza earlier this month and scored points on his second-ever F1 race with a superb eighth-place finish in Baku.
Bearman, who scored points in a one-off race for Ferrari earlier this season, was also on the board for Haas in Azerbaijan while filling in for the banned Kevin Magnussen. The British teenager is set to race for Haas permanently next season, while Colapinto’s future is up in the air.
Hamilton battled with both drivers in Baku, eventually finishing between them in P9. Rather than taking a hostile approach to the grid’s new blood, the seven-time world champion hopes to be a more welcoming influence than those who surrounded him during his own debut season.
And F1 great Lauda, a former non-executive chairman of Mercedes who helped bring Hamilton on board in 2013, serves as a perfect example to follow.
“For me, I remember so clearly when I first got to F1, I didn’t get a warm welcome from anyone except for Niki,” Hamilton told FOX Sports. “I remember what it was like being that young, having that experience, and how tough it is.
“These two are doing such an amazing job. Both of them [Colapinto and Bearman] were ahead of me [in Azerbaijan] at one point, driving so well, not making mistakes. Really, really talented and they have bright futures in front of them.
“In my position, I wanted to be different to those who were there when I was younger. I wanted to make sure that I’m positive to them and uplifting rather than talking negatively about them, which a lot of people do for no reason.”
Starting with the Singapore Grand Prix tomorrow (Sunday), Colapinto has seven races to prove that he deserves to be given a shot in F1. Williams’ two seats are already taken by Alex Albon and newcomer Carlos Sainz, who is joining from Ferrari.
Colapinto’s promising form has sparked links to Sauber, who will become a works Audi team in 2026. Nico Hulkenberg has already been confirmed as one of their drivers for next season but their second seat remains vacant.
