Lewis Hamilton has revealed how he stays mentally and physically strong and how the 40-year-old’s training has changed over his 19-year Formula 1 career.
At 40, Lewis Hamilton is the second-oldest Formula 1 driver on the current starting grid, with only two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, 44, being older. Now the Ferrari driver reveals how his approach to training and his unshakeable principles have changed over the years.
“When I was younger, training was really my therapy, I think—and in a way, it still is, especially running. That’s when I do most of my thinking,” says the seven-time world champion in an interview with Men’s Health when asked how he stays mentally strong.
“Then there were things like yoga and breathing exercises. Breathing exercises probably took the longest for me to really get into because it takes time. Then meditation. I think ice baths help too, because you have to learn to breathe and overcome the thoughts that tell you to give up or get out.”
“All of that helps me stay positive throughout the year,” Hamilton emphasizes. “Positive affirmations are probably the most important thing of all. When you brush your teeth or start your day, make positive statements about how the day will go, what the goal is, how you will feel, how you will approach your work or interact with people.”
“When you talk positively about yourself, your body responds.” Hamilton completed his 19th Formula 1 season in 2025, but did not make it onto the podium once and repeatedly criticized his team, which did not go down well with Ferrari boss John Elkann in particular.
Ferrari star Lewis Hamilton does yoga and Pilates
Reflecting on the physical and mental changes he has made over the course of his long career, Hamilton adds: “It has shifted, evolved, matured. I still love to run. I do runs between six and eight miles. Then an ice bath.”
“But even before all that, stretching is the first thing I do as soon as I get out of bed,” reveals the Brit. “In the afternoon, I might do a HIIT session, but I can’t really do much weight training because otherwise I’ll get too heavy. So it’s mostly Pilates and yoga.”
Hamilton moved to Ferrari ahead of the 2025 season after twelve years with Mercedes, during which he won six of his seven world championship titles. Even though his first year with the Maranello team did not bring the results he had hoped for, he is already looking ahead to the 2026 rule changes to reposition and refocus himself.