Away from being a seven-time world champion, and one of F1’s loudest personalities, the best way to introduce Lewis Hamilton is through his immaculate fashion sense. The Briton dresses up in some of the most eye-catching outfits, often making him look too good to be true. While he has now become the fashion icon of the F1 world, there was once a time when people frowned on him for his dressing sense.

Appearing in an interview with luxury watchmakers IWC on their official YouTube channel a couple of years ago, Hamilton recalled an incident from his first-ever F1 meeting, where the people judged him for his loud fashion.

Hamilton added that once he and his father came back home, his father asked him to change the way he dressed up, “You’ve got to change.” The Briton revealed he wasn’t able to be himself anymore, “And it’s the worst thing- not being able to feel free in your skin.”

Hamilton started talking about the incident to bring to light the difficulties F1 drivers often face when they try to be themselves in front of the world. One has to always be in the team kit or formals when roaming around the paddock on race days.

However, Hamilton wanted to present himself the way he was, and it took him a long time to discover that part of himself before leading the charge in making loud fashion the norm of F1.

Lewis Hamilton reveals the man who inspired him to be who he is

Speaking in the same interview, Hamilton revealed how one of the most influential music producers of the 21st century, Pharrell Williams, inspired him to never change himself and feel comfortable in his own skin.

Keeping the same in mind, Hamilton detailed he tries his best to fuse his team and his fashion statements together, “I always try to play around with it.” The Mercedes driver added he uses his platform and reach to inspire people to dress up however they feel comfortable.

Lewis Hamilton has had an uncharacteristic couple of years in F1, not winning or dominating at all. To rub salt in his wounds after 2021, his young teammate George Russell beat him in the standings last season. Although, in 2023, the seven-time champion showed up the former Williams driver with his class. Throughout this season, Hamilton convincingly outperformed Russell. As a result of the 38-year-old’s consistent excellence, his younger teammate is now seemingly relegated to a ‘second-rate’ status.

Russell after having a stellar debut year at Mercedes, faced challenges this year. His performance declined from a commendable P4 last year to a disappointing P8 in 2023. While Russell achieved his maiden win and stood on the podium eight times last year, he could only secure two podium finishes in 2023.

Consequently, critics like Eddie Jordan now contend that compared to Hamilton’s showing this year, Russell’s performance has been subpar. In an episode of the Formula for Success podcast, Eddie Jordan said as quoted by Mirror, “To do what he’s [Hamilton] now doing and honestly, he’s making George look a bit second-rate now at the moment. George at the beginning we were thinking at the beginning of the year, he’s mustard, he’s world-class.”

Certainly, George Russell faced a challenging stint as he fell short of reaching the podium consistently. This was not due to lack of effort, but rather due to his suboptimal handling of the car in critical moments. As a result, the 25-year-old who had raised fans’ expectations after 2022, ultimately left them disappointed.

Eddie Jordan, contemplating this letdown, reflected on Russell’s future. According to him, with two years left on Russell’s Mercedes contract, he might face termination if his performances fail to improve.

Following Mercedes’ performance in 2023, Lewis Hamilton makes a bold prediction for the upcoming season

In the 2023 season, Lewis Hamilton found himself winless once again on the racetrack. However, his steadfast dedication resonated deeply with both fans and critics alike. Maneuvering the sluggish W14 car, Hamilton secured an impressive tally of 6 podium finishes and amassed a notable 234 points.

In addition, his teamwork with George Russell played a pivotal role in propelling their team to second place in the constructors’ championship. Notably, Hamilton’s resilience has compelled even the most discerning critics to shower him with accolades.

Former F1 driver Martin Donnelly, speaking on the Formula for Success podcast, praised Hamilton’s racing mojo and longevity in Formula 1. He said, “Lewis, to be doing this since 2007, to go and pack a bag, unpack a bag still have that mojo to keep doing that, year in, year out.”

However, over the past two years, Hamilton hasn’t been able to lead Mercedes to victory. Nevertheless, at the FIA prize gala in Baku, Hamilton assured fans that a new era of performance is on the horizon. The Briton said, “As soon as I was leaving, again I popped in just to see where we were and when I come back it’ll be again a different animal.”

Moreover, Hamilton shared his observations about monitoring the car’s progress in the wind tunnel. The 38-year-old mentioned that whenever he visits the factory, he takes the opportunity to witness the car’s development and the direction it takes.

Hamilton also expressed his unwavering belief in the team’s competitiveness for the upcoming season. As a key figure at Mercedes, Hamilton’s positive mindset could contribute to the W15 achieving impressive results in 2024.

Lewis Hamilton has had an extremely long career, competing in F1 for 16 years. Although he has stated that he can carry on for much longer, he revealed once that he will “lose his mind” if he keeps focusing on racing. The two statements seem contradictory as the 38-year-old is keen to achieve more success but at the same time cannot just focus on racing, something that he will need to put his heart and soul into if he is to win a record eighth championship.

However, there is one exceptional quality that Hamilton possesses that only a few other drivers have and that’s the ability to multitask. Hence, when asked in an interview with IWC Watches two years ago about how he manages his interests away from F1 and yet manages to be successful in the sport, Hamilton’s answer was simple.

“In my world that I came into, they would say that to be a driver, you have to be this one thing. You can’t be anything else. They kind of put you in a box, you know. I think, if I would just focus on racing, racing, racing, I would lose my mind. So to be able to unwind, to be able to tap into something else,” explained Hamilton.

The 38-year-old does indeed have several other passions other than F1. Even in the many years that he dominated, he also attended fashion shows and demonstrated a keen interest in expanding his other projects such as Mission 44.

In this manner, Hamilton has proved that achieving success in their domain doesn’t mean that they forego their other interests. Another key reason why he believes he has been so successful is that he has had outlays such as music to express his emotions.

Lewis Hamilton explains how music is like a therapeutic outlet for him

In the same interview, Lewis Hamilton explained that one does not need to be the best at everything. However, he does believe it is important for people to learn new things to find “new pathways in your mind” and to release feelings.

He believes that something like music helps do exactly that. The Briton stated that while he is far from the best at playing his guitar, he does enjoy it as it helps him relax. However, some would argue that Hamilton perhaps enjoys music because he also wants to pursue it professionally, having lent his voice to Christina Aguilera’s hit song, Pipe.

After doing so under his pseudonym XNDA, Hamilton also excited his fans by stating that he would release some of his own songs. However, fans still await for the moment. Now, it just remains to be seen if the 38-year-old seriously considers joining the music industry after F1 or not.

The only thing that is important to note at this point is that music is not the only creative outlet that Hamilton enjoys. He also has his own business ventures as he owns a shop called +44. As a part of this business, he designs hoodies and t-shirts. Other than this business, he also owns Denver Broncos and Neat Burger.

Lewis Hamilton used to regularly chat with Sky Sports reporter Martin Brundle on the grid before races but not any more.

Lewis Hamilton has stopped talking to Martin Brundle during his famous Grand Prix grid walks, according to the television reporter himself. The former F1 driver turned to media work after retiring from the sport in 1996 and has been a fixture of Sky Sports’ coverage for the past 11 years.

Before each race, the 63-year-old will make his way up and down the starting grid, interviewing whichever drivers and celebrities he can manage to grab a word with. But in an interview with GQ, he has explained that there are some drivers that will “never talk to him” and seven-time world champion Hamilton is now one of them.

Brundle said: “I never tried to dropkick them or get clever with the questions. I think that would be unfair, so it tends to be quite happy and smashy and nicey conversation. I’m not really going to be hitting them with an, ‘I heard your contract is up soon’ or something like that. It’s going to be relevant to the race, but generally speaking they trust me.

“A few of them will just shake their head and then even apologise later on. Or some come up to me in the paddock and go, ‘You haven’t seen me on the grid for ages, just come and talk to me on the grid’. And then others will never talk. Lewis [Hamilton] used to talk to me a lot and then stopped. So, we take it as it comes.”

Brundle, who raced for both McLaren and Williams during his F1 career, said that some drivers will approach him wanting an interview but not Hamilton.

The pair worked together on a Sky Sports show in 2020 that celebrated the 70th anniversary Grand Prix, but apart from that one-off special, they have not conducted a conventional interview since 2019.

Hamilton’s reluctance to talk on the grid could possibly be attributed to a succession of years where he has not been able to stake a credible claim for the F1 world championship in a period that has been dominated by Max Verstappen.

As a result, Brundle does not bother Hamilton for grid interviews anymore and when asked by GQ if he felt uncomfortable approaching some drivers or celebrities he explained that it all depends on the individual.

Lewis Hamilton has conceded to sometimes wondering if he “still has it” amid Mercedes’ relative F1 struggles after ending a second successive season without a Grand Prix victory to his name.

Hamilton and Mercedes combined to devastating effect when the sport’s turbo-hybrid era began in 2014, with the driver going on to rack up six world titles in seven years to add to the crown he previously achieved at McLaren and the Silver Arrows winning eight championships on the bounce.

However, after being dethroned by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in a hotly-contested 2021 campaign, Hamilton has been unable to mount another title challenge as Mercedes battle to produce a winning car to F1’s latest ground effect ruleset.

Debuting back in 2007, Hamilton had not gone a season without winning a race until 2022, and the now 38-year-old admitted in a wide-ranging interview with BBC Sport that the challenges faced raised some questions in his mind.

“Ultimately, when you have difficult seasons like this, there are always going to be moments when you’re like, ‘Is it me, or is it the car? Do you still have it? Has it gone?’” Hamilton commented.

“Because you’re missing that, you know… When the magic happens, when everything comes together, the car and you, and that spark, it’s extraordinary. And that’s what you’re in the search for.”

He added: “I’m only human. If anyone in the world tells you they don’t have those things, they’re in denial. We’re all human beings.”

Despite those concerns, Hamilton ended the season third in the drivers’ standings behind Red Bull pair Verstappen and Sergio Perez, with team mate George Russell 59 points back in eighth.

Hamilton declared himself pleased with his own performances on race days, but feels there is work to do in qualifying going forward, with the Mercedes drivers finishing level in terms of their one-lap head-to-heads.

Most of my race performances have been really good,” Hamilton said. “So that, I am happy with – building back up to the level I should be.

“Qualifying is still an area that needs to be improved. We struggle as a team getting the performance out of these tyres.

“You’ll notice there was one weekend where George would be massively off and I’d be OK, and then it switched the other way. And those are down to small details with the car.”

Hamilton remains the most successful driver in F1 history with his aforementioned seven world titles, 103 race wins, 104 pole positions, 197 podium finishes and more than 4,600 points.

Eddie Jordan has questioned whether George Russell is good enough to rival Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.

Russell struggled in 2023. He finished eighth in the championship after recording just two podiums. Hamilton, meanwhile, achieved six podiums to finish third overall. Only the two Red Bull drivers, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, enjoyed more success this year.

Russell joined Mercedes from Williams two years ago and was expected to push for victories. Yet the 25-year-old has picked up just one triumph to the leave critics, such as Jordan, questioning whether he’s capable of matching Hamilton’s achievements.

Jordan pondered Russell’s future on the Formula for Success podcast with former Formula 1 stars Martin Donnelly and David Coulthard. Russell has two years remaining on his Mercedes contract and could get the axe if his performances don’t improve.

Speaking about Hamilton’s longevity, Donnelly said: “Lewis, to be doing this since 2007, to go and pack a bag, unpack a bag, go to an airport, jump on a plane, even if it’s a Learjet. To still have that mojo to keep doing that, year in, year out.”

That’s when Jordan replied: “To do what he’s now doing and honestly, he’s making George look a bit second-rate now at the moment. And George at the beginning we were thinking at the beginning of the year, he’s mustard, he’s world-class.”

As Jordan claims, Russell’s stock was much higher this time last year. He finished fourth in the championship – two spots ahead of Hamilton – and won in Sao Paulo. Yet Russell failed to outperform the seven-time world champion again in 2023.

Einstein’s definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome.

Lewis Hamilton is two years into the longest winless drought of his long and extraordinary Formula 1 career. Yet, he has signed up for two more seasons with a Mercedes team which looks a mere shadow of the all-conquering behemoth it was just a few years ago.

To be clear – I don’t believe Hamilton is insane. But I do find it very interesting that the seven-time world champion tied himself down to more than just an extra year with his current team when time is running out for him to win an eighth.

Mercedes’ eight-year winning streak in the constructors’ championship was extraordinary. We may never see anything like it again – but there’s also a chance that Red Bull are already on their way to beating it.

The sport is in their tight clutch right now. In 2023 they went back-to-back and did it in such dominant style that they have to be the favourites to continue to win every year until at least the next major rule changes in 2026, when new engines and a few other tweaks come into play.

It remains to be seen whether Hamilton will still be around by that point. He turns 39 in a couple of weeks and the two-year contract extension he signed earlier this years means he will continue to race in F1 and for Mercedes until he is almost 41. Fernando Alonso is proving it is possible to still be competitive beyond that, but it will depend on whether the Brit’s body and mind remain up to the task.

That makes the next two years all the more crucial. It may be his last opportunity to finally secure that elusive eighth title, but he faces a tall order to even have the chance to compete for it with a Mercedes team which has lost its way. His last two cars have been incapable of matching the machines that Red Bull have produced.

“Mercedes quite clearly are not the force they were, because they didn’t get the 2022 car right and they didn’t fix it for 2023,” said Martin Brundle at the end of the season. The Sky Sports favourite also pointed out that the dream team of Toto Wolff and his top lieutenants who oversaw that extraordinary era is breaking up – having endured these two disappointing seasons.

As Wolff himself said in 2022, he and his colleagues “didn’t suddenly take a stupid pill”. Some of the best minds in the F1 paddock wear shirts with Mercedes logos on the breast. But they have made mistakes. And, given Wolff’s admission that the team is basically starting from scratch for the 2024 W15 car, they are two years behind Red Bull as a result.

The driver market is set up to come alive in 2024 with half the grid out of contract. Signing an extra 12 months with Mercedes made sense but it’s hard to understand why Hamilton put his loyalty to the team he loves ahead of his title ambitions by agreeing to two more years.

He is not the sort of man who has many regrets, in F1 or in life. If he is still only seven-time world champion by the time he retires from racing, Hamilton may look back on that decision as one of them.

Initials followed by a number seem to be all the rage in elite sport these days. Cristiano Ronaldo’s CR7 brand is the obvious example, but right up there with it is LH44.

It’s the number Lewis Hamilton has raced with ever since Formula 1 rules allowed drivers to choose their own numbers. And it’s safe to say it’s been a lucky omen for him, given the Brit has won more races than anyone else in history and a record-equalling seven world titles.

All drivers can pick a number which is then reserved for them throughout their career. The only exception is the number one, which is reserved for the previous season’s champion – though they don’t have to take it if they don’t want to.

Most do – Max Verstappen was synonymous until the number 33 until he beat Hamilton to the 2021 title. Since then, the Red Bull driver has raced with the number one and added two more championships to his growing collection.

But Hamilton is an exception. Even during the height of his powers when he was winning championships for fun, the Brit chose to retain his number 44. Clearly, it has a special meaning for him – as he once explained in a video for his Mercedes team’s sponsors Petronas.

“When I started racing, when I was eight, the number plate on my dad’s car – he had this red Cavalier – and the license place was F44. So he used 44. It was his idea and then it became the family lucky number.”

And he gave a similar explanation at the 2019 BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony: “I always start with the number 44 because that’s the number that I had on my go-kart when I was eight years old. It was my dad’s car registration number, F44, so each year, it’s just a new chance to rise to the challenge.”

Being a Formula One driver requires an immense amount of bravery. In a sport that’s all about fine margins and split-second decisions, there’s also very little that separates life and fatality. Yes, safety measures have increased significantly, but these 20 drivers put their lives on the line every time they put their seat belts on and go racing. Some people are daunted by these risks, while some people chase them. Lewis Hamilton falls in the latter category.

Lewis Hamilton has often left his father questioning his identity

A little less than a year ago, Lewis Hamilton appeared on a talk show with famous social media personality and author Jay Shetty. During the conversation, they talked about everything – from the mentality of success to diversity in Formula One. However, fans couldn’t get over one moment when Lewis Hamilton revealed that his father sometimes couldn’t believe the Mercedes driver was his son.

While talking about progressing, Lewis mentioned, “A lot of our fear stop us from driving forwards, from progressing. That’s why I do the craziest things, I jump out of planes.” Jay Shetty interrupted Hamilton and asked, “Yeah, you’ve done what? 80 jumps or something like that?” The seven-time world champion confirmed it and revealed that he loves to challenge himself and do things that allow him to overcome fear. “It’s the best feeling when you overcome it, and then you actually realize that it’s a bunch of nonsense in your head.”

This “crazy” side of the Mercedes driver even surprised his own dad. Hamilton revealed, “As a kid, my dad was like, ‘Is he really my son?’ Because I wouldn’t do any of these things!” Despite Anthony Hamilton’s claims, Hamilton Jr. has successfully taken his father along for a skydive, a testament to their trusting relationship. While the two have an amazing relationship now, they haven’t always seen eye to eye. Just a season after becoming world champion for the first time, the then-McLaren driver made a shocking announcement about his father.

The Hamiltons’ bumpy ride

Anthony Hamilton has been an instrumental part of Lewis Hamilton’s success. He took him karting at a young age, worked as his mechanic, held up four jobs to support Lewis’ racing career, and even acted as his manager during the early part of his F1 career. However, his hard work to put his son on the grid came with its own downsides, the Mercedes driver explained.

“The thing with my dad was he was my manager all the way. We got to Formula 1, and he worked so hard,” Hamilton explained. “But I think it was difficult for him to then show me love. Sometimes you just want a hug from your dad or, when you’re facing these things, you want to be able to be embraced. But I think when I was 22 or 23, it got really intense when I got to F1.” As a result, Lewis Hamilton decided that it was best for their relationship that his father not be his manager anymore.

After this very public separation, the father-son duo didn’t stop working on their personal relationship. Despite a period when they weren’t talking as much, they enjoy a beautiful relationship now. “We both have worked so hard to come back together, and we have one of the greatest relationships [now]. He’s the first person I want to call when I finish a race. Because I know he knows what it’s like, he was there from day one.”

What an interesting dynamic the father-son duo has! Would Lewis Hamilton be anywhere near as successful if not for Anthony Hamilton’s efforts