Formula 1: US Open Champion Emma Raducanu reveals fan girl moment with Lewis Hamilton: US Open champion Emma Raducanu has thanked Lewis Hamilton for his advice and support since her thrilling maiden Grand Slam win in September, describing the seven-times Formula One world champion as her role model.
Speaking after her straight-sets win over Elena-Gabriela Ruse at an exhibition event in London on Sunday, Raducanu said Hamilton was a “really cool guy”.
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Formula 1: US Open Champion Emma Raducanu reveals fan girl moment with Lewis Hamilton, thanks F1 champion for inspiring her
Raducanu competed in karting and motocross events as a child, and is a big fan of Formula One.
“(Hamilton) said: ‘Be patient, you’ve just got to ride the wave. It’s all good. Don’t worry’. Good reassurance. He has been such a good role model for me in terms of helping me out through the next stages,” Raducanu told British media.
The 19-year-old also shrugged off talk of beating Hamilton to the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award next month
Formula 1: US Open Champion Emma Raducanu reveals fan girl moment with Lewis Hamilton, thanks F1 champion for inspiring her
“No, definitely not. I am rooting for Lewis in the race,” she said.
“I just don’t even think about it. For me, it’s something that’s so far out of the realms of possibility.”
Formula 1: US Open Champion Emma Raducanu reveals fan girl moment with Lewis Hamilton, thanks F1 champion for inspiring her
Raducanu, who is preparing for the 2022 season by undergoing intense five-hour daily training sessions, also spoke about her personal goals.
“For me, my expectations of myself are to keep improving, I want to look back at the end of the year and see that I made gains in different areas. I know it will take a lot of patience to get to where I want to be,” she said.
The match on Sunday was Raducanu’s first on home soil since her astonishing US Open triumph, when she entered the tournament as a qualifier ranked 150th in the world and ended it as Britain’s first female Grand Slam champion for 44 years.