Lewis Hamilton's comments about racing in extreme Qatar heat are precisely why drivers should not be held responsible for F1 safety

Lewis Hamilton's comments about racing in extreme conditions have caught the eye of many and even rubbed a few the wrong way. The driver's stance was interesting as he talked about how F1 is an extreme sport where drivers are pushed to the verge of breaking.

The driver said that he always had the approach of just preparing as well as he could and trying to do well. He also cited the examples of the Ayrton Senna era and even the race in the 1980s where Nigel Mansell collapsed due to exhaustion.

When it comes to racing in extreme conditions, this is what Lewis Hamilton told Sky Sports:

"My feeling towards it is... this is an extreme sport. You don't have marathon runners who are passing out after the marathon, saying you have got to make it shorter.

"This is an extreme sport and we are paid very highly for what we do and from my perspective when I've not been feeling great at the end of the race, I've just got to train harder and that's how it's been for me."

Hamilton did not want the races to be made shorter and easier for the drivers but rather wanted it to be extreme. He added:

"I don't personally want them to shorten the races and make it easier for us. I want it to be extreme. I want to feel the difference, I want to feel pain in my body, I want to be able to, hopefully with that extra bit of training that you put in or that extra bit of dedication that you have had, helps you get that extra lap and win that race. That's what this is about."

These comments are primarily the reason why F1 safety cannot be put in the hands of drivers.

Lewis Hamilton, not the only one

What Lewis Hamilton has said about being fine with driving in these conditions is not an isolated view. This view has been echoed by F1 pundits like Martin Brundle and Will Buxton.

Martin Brundle even faced a lot of flak when he compared F1 drivers to gladiators on tackling these conditions. Former Ferrari and McLaren driver Gerhard Berger was also vocal about the issue as he questioned the fitness of the drivers.

Even other drivers such as Fernando Alonso did not push the case too much when it came to the conditions being bad for racing.

F1 drivers are a different breed

The reason behind this is not because Lewis Hamilton or any of the other drivers are not smart people. Neither is it a case of the Mercedes driver passing an indignant remark against his fellow competitors. Hamilton's comments are a reflection of the mindset with which he's lived for years now.

It's the mindset of an F1 driver who cannot give up under any circumstance. It is the mindset of a driver who has reached the pinnacle of motorsport by pushing himself both physically and mentally all these years. It's only him who has been on this journey.

It takes a special mindset for drivers to believe they can overcome every obstacle. This is precisely why Esteban Ocon nonchalantly made the statement that he would rather die than retire from a race.

These drivers are a rare breed who have been programmed for perfection through years of hard work. So much so that sometimes they might not be able to draw the line between unsafe and challenging.

This is where FIA steps in

This is precisely where the FIA steps in. Lewis Hamilton could make a statement that F1 is an extreme sport and he won't be wrong in his assessment. At the same time, it's just not acceptable to hear drivers passing out on fast-speed corners during the race (Lance Stroll), or for that matter, drivers struggling to get out of the car.

It's not Lewis Hamilton's fault to have that kind of a mindset where he sees that as a challenge. As an elite F1 driver, he is supposed to have such a mindset. It is, however, at this point that the FIA has to step in as it has rightly done.

After the race in Qatar, there were many who used the drivers as the best judge of whether to race in those conditions or not. What Lewis Hamilton's comments have shown is that drivers cannot be held responsible for F1's safety.