London - World champion Lewis Hamilton said that he is driven to despair about politics in Formula One as teams and officials were set to meet in London over the latest crisis. Hamilton told Friday's edition of The Times daily that the amount of politics in the racing series came as a shock to him.
"I never imagined there would be so much politics when I came into Formula One. It definitely was a shock," the Briton said.
"I just feel knocked about by it all. I want to be a driver - I am not in the sport to be a politician.
"It hasn't affected my driving. I won't allow anything to affect my driving. But it affects your life, it affects the way you are. I used to enjoy Formula One and part of that has been taken away from me," he told The Times.
Hamilton and his McLaren team have been involved in a few incidents since he joined the sport in 2007.
McLaren were docked all constructors points and fined 100 million dollars in a spying affair in 2007. At the start of the 2009 season Hamilton was disqualified from the Australian Grand Prix and McLaren are racing on probation for misleading race stewards.
"It's got to be a similar feeling to anyone who goes to jail but feels they shouldn't be behind bars. That is the feeling I have had, although I know what happened in Australia was wrong," he said.
Hamilton came second in his debut season and was crowned the youngest world champion in a dramatic season finale last year. But McLaren lag far behind in 2009 with a car not as competitive as the leading Brawn GP and Red Bull teams.
The statements published on Friday coincide with a meeting of world governing body FIA boss Max Mosley with the team union FOTA, and F1 rights holder Bernie Ecclestone, over a controversial budget cap the FIA wants to introduce in 2010.
Ferrari and Renault lead a majority of teams who have threatened to quit Formula One if the budget cap of 45 million euros (61 million dollars) is not revoked.
The cap is not mandatory, but teams which keep to it will have all technical freedom in areas such as engines and aerodynamics. Teams which spend more money face restrictions.
