Lewis Hamilton has found a temporary cure to racing with a bad back as the seven-time Formula One world champion got his hands on a retro games console ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.
The 37-year-old required assistance to get out of his Mercedes after his car bounced up and down at high speed throughout the 51-lap Azerbaijan Grand Prix last weekend.
Mercedes ran their machines close to the ground in Baku to produce lower downforce.
But the move exaggerated the bouncing – also known as porpoising – with the FIA, the sport’s governing body, now taking the decision to step in and attempt to make the sport safer.
Hamilton underwent acupuncture and cryotherapy to get in better shape for his arrival in Montreal.
But he also found time to put in a few laps on a Sega Genesis – known as a Mega Drive in the United Kingdom – playing a game named after his racing idol.
“I just had this itch to play old games,” he said.
“I’ve just bought an old Nintendo 64…I didn’t buy it, I found it in my storage. Then I went and got Goldeneye.
“When I landed I went to get Mario Kart but they didn’t have a Nintendo 64 so I bought a Sega Genesis, and they had the Senna game and I was like – this is perfect!
Hamilton took to Instagram to keep fans updated on his progress: “Got myself a Sega Genesis and of course, Ayrton Senna’s Super Monaco GP II. I loved this game as a kid and still do now. Still holds up!
“Naturally I got super competitive with myself. My personal best right now is a 49 second lap, pretty sure I can beat that tho. That was only after a few tries. I’ll let you all know when I beat it.”
After revealing his purchase in the driver’s press conference on Friday, Hamilton shared a joke with 2021 title rival Max Verstappen, who asked if there were any porpoising issues on the game.
