He is regarded as one of the greatest racing drivers in the sport's history - with three World Championship titles and a £131million fortune under his belt.
But Lewis Hamilton has now slammed the racing industry that shot him to success, after admitting his career stopped him having a social life or any personal growth.
In a scathing interview with Men's Health Australia, the 32-year-old blasted the sport by claiming he did nothing but 'live and breathe racing' - meaning he never saw his friends, or even 'smiled' during his early career.
Lewis is currently vying for his fourth World Championship title, having stormed to the finish line at the Spanish Grand Prix over the weekend with Mercedes.
However, after such a lengthy and successful career, the sportsman has now claimed racing constricts his personal life - as he feels he must fulfill a certain image as a driver.
He said of his early career in a scathing hit at the sport: 'Don’t do anything but live and breathe racing. Don’t enjoy, don’t smile.'
Adding that his working schedule had even stolen his social life, he continued: 'I was robbed of being able to grow naturally. I didn’t get to hang out with my friends — it was always racing, always business, always serious.'
However Lewis, who is often seen at star-studded parties around the world, remained adamant that he does not live a lavish lifestyle - explaining he trains as hard as his colleagues, but simply spends his free time in a glitzier domain.
Admitting life experience was important to him, he reasoned: 'If I can be in the studio with Jay-Z, with Pharrell, am I going to do it? S***, yeah. I like to be around greatness.'
Lewis' comments come after he was announced as the UK's wealthiest sportsman earlier this month.
According to the Telegraph, the driver has a whopping £131million fortune, and has seen his profits increase by a huge £25million in the last 12 months alone - making him the 11th highest-paid sportsman in the world.
The Stevenage-born star is known for living a fast-paced, glitzy lifestyle, and is often present on the FROW of several high-profile Fashion Week shows.
He has also been romantically linked with a number big names, such as Nicole Scherzinger, Rihanna, and a string of Victoria's Secret models, including Winnie Harlow and Barbara Palvin.
Most recently, he has been connected to Sofia Richie - with the pair being seen on a lunch date in LA last week, before the 18-year-old model stepped out carrying Lewis' bulldog Coco.
The model and the racer were also seen leaving a screening of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 at the Whitby Hotel earlier this month, only heightening to swirling rumours.
Lewis is now preparing to head to the Monaco Grand Prix next week, six points behind his rival Sebastian Vettel.
Both drivers are level on two victories each, in a season which is shaping up to be one of the most exciting ever.
However the sportsman admitted after Barcelona that he is more focused on his own personal sense of success in the races, as opposed to dominating over the German driver.
He said in an interview after the race: 'Of course I want to win Monaco but the importance is not the points but the actual win. For me, it is about consistency and taking that form from this weekend into the 15 races that we have left.'
- Daily Mail