08/11/2017
NEWS STORY
Earlier this week, Lewis Hamilton was one of many celebrities, sports stars, politicians and even royalty claimed to have used creative accountancy to avoid paying tax. In the world champion's case, this amounted to £3.3m in VAT due on the purchase of a £16.5m private jet.
According to the so-called Paradise Papers, using shell companies in the British Virgin Islands, the Isle of Man and Guernsey to avoid the £3.3m due when he imported the plane from Canada to the UK in 2013.
No doubt, the Briton will face plenty of questions from the media over the Grand Prix weekend, but ahead of the penultimate race of the season, the Briton was in no mood to discuss the issue, insisting he has a far more taxing task ahead of him.
"Obviously right now there is a bit of a storm surrounding me," he told reporters in Sao Paulo. "There are many different stories around, but I don't have anything to add to the whole scenario that has happened. It doesn't distract me from my core values, and also what I am here to do which is to try and win the Brazilian Grand Prix for a second time in my life.
"I have just come back from an eight-day holiday with close family and friends, and had the best time ever," said the Briton, who secured his fourth title two weeks ago in Mexico. "It was just amazing to be able to share this great experience of winning the world championship with these people who have been a part of my life.
"So, I come here with this greatest feeling, amazing energy, and want to absorb that positive energy and try to shine my light as bright as I can here in Brazil. I have had this huge wave of positive energy and nothing can really dent that. I carry that here, and I am solely focused on trying to win the race this weekend.
"The championship is done, but there are still two races to go and it is important to win those two races to solidify what I have worked on this year," he added. "If I was to sit back, relax and let someone else take the glory, sure it would be nice for them, but that is not what I am about.
"So, this weekend I am still faced with the same challenges. It is going to be close, but my goal remains the same. I want to continue to raise the bar."