Lewis Hamilton switched to a vegan diet to to save animals and "feel great"

He told the new issue of GQ Hype magazine: "Ultimately, you want to feel great.

"You want to have energy, to be consistent.

"You don't want to have the big oscillations and highs and lows in your energy levels.

"Veganism has eradicated that.

"When I was 22, it was raw talent.

"You've got an abundance of energy, you're fit, there are no aches and pains...

"But I'm always looking at how I can improve.

"Can my eyesight be better? Can my reactions be improved? Are there new ways of testing my reactions?

"The ergonomics in the car ... how can I make everything simpler?

"There's a multitude of things and I'm always trying to raise the bar.

"One of the things was my sleeping pattern and not feeling right in the stomach.

"Your gut is your second brain."

The 35-year-old motor sportsman added that non-vegans are missing out.

He said: "We're taught to drink milk and eat meat for protein and I started looking into other areas of research around all this.

"The first thing was, what's happening to the animals? "Secondly, the impact it can have on your body.

"That's a free advantage I'm going to take.

"If no one else wants it, well that's their loss."

Meanwhile, the British star quipped that he needs to "pay" Finnish racing driver Kimi Raikkonen, 40, to remain in F1 so he's not "the oldest", but admitted that he feels "as young as ever" and "fitter than ever", though he accepts that his fitness levels are bound to dwindle in years to come.

When the interviewer suggested he's an "elder statesman", he said: "No, I am. I need to start paying Kimi [Raikkonen] to stay so I'm not the oldest.

"Luckily, I think he's going to keep going.

"I don't feel old at all.

"I feel as young as ever.

"I feel fit, fitter than ever.

"Everything just works better now, with the experience I have.

"I don't even think it's harder to stay physically in shape, although I'm sure that will inevitably tail off at some point."

See the full interview available online now via GQ HYPE www.gq-magazine.co.uk/cars/article/lewis-hamilton-interview-2020