Vogue Whether it’s the success of Formula 1 Drive to Survive or your riveting title fight last year with Verstappen, the U.S. seems to be really embracing the sport. How do you feel about that? Lewis Hamilton It’s heartwarming to see that the sport is finally being accepted and noticed in the States You have so many incredible sports fans—people that genuinely love competition—and it’s amazing to see. And it’s growing—it’s growing to three in America. [Las Vegas debuts its own Formula 1 race in November 2023.] And if racing a Formula 1 car at 220 miles per hour doesn’t provide enough excitement for you, you seem to have developed a skydiving habit. What does that experience do for you—and how does that feeling compare to your day job? Driving Formula 1 cars is a great thing. But it happens under a lot of pressure—both personal and outside pressure—to excel and succeed. Skydiving is a freeing experience—it’s getting away from… it’s letting go of everything in life letting go of opinions, judgments, negativity, everything—and freeing yourself and taking that leap of faith. And so I love every single time I do it. It just fills me with a lot of natural, positive energy and excitement and the feeling that I can do anything.You’re known for wearing some really bold fashion—both out in the world and within the F1 paddock—and you used your attendance at last year’s Met Gala to shine a light on emerging Black designers. Where do you find what you’re wearing—and is there a certain philosophy behind your self expression?
I try to find the good fashion shows during various fashion weeks, but when I can’t make it to shows, I actually [laughs] spend a lot of time on Vogue.com, going through all the amazing runway photos that they have. I also follow my favorite brands on social media—and what was the second part of the question? Just going back to the brands—I mean, I’m excited to see new brands coming through. I’m excited for young up and coming entrepreneurs and designers, for people who are putting sustainability at the forefront, for young Black designers that perhaps in the past were overlooked, and for young British designers. I’ve also been plant based for the last six years, and I know that not every brand in the fashion space is environmentally conscious—the industry as a whole is still quite a big contributor to pollution.
