F1: Lewis Hamilton slammed as ‘pantomime dame’ by former F1 driver

Lewis Hamilton has been labelled a ‘pantomime dame’ by former Formula 1 race winner John Watson, who says that the seven-time world champion should ‘spend more time in the gym’ in order to cope with the porpoising in his Mercedes car.

Some other teams have been able to mitigate the extent of porpoising in their machinery, but the sight of drivers’ heads ricocheting back and forth wildly as intense loads are sent up their spines has become very common.

Watson, who raced for teams including McLaren and Lotus and won five races, has outlandishly claimed that Hamilton’s account of the pain he endured during the race is evidence that he is not fit enough.

‘Lewis needs to be careful not to act like a pantomime dame,’ the 76-year-old told the Daily Mail. ‘It is a very difficult car to drive but at 37 the bones are not as forgiving of an uncomfortable ride.

‘This is a whole new world to Lewis. He has had seven or so years when Mercedes have been dominant and it’s perhaps like a seven-year itch. George looked pretty fresh afterwards and finished third to Lewis’s fourth. Lewis maybe needs to recalibrate and spend less time in the air (burning fossil fuel with his private jet) and more in the gym.’