F1 racing is quickly gaining worldwide attention due in large part to a man named Lewis Hamilton. The Brit has not only conquered the track, but he is taking pop culture by storm, especially as he's broken ground as a Black driver in the predominately white sport. Mercedes' shining star is a leading trendsetter in fashion and uses his huge social media presence to spread words of positivity and encouragement.
The 2020 F1 season was about to get underway before the Australian Grand Prix was canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak and McLaren withdrawing its team from the race after a member tested positive with the disease.
That doesn't stop Hamilton from being the influential figure that he is. Forbes named him one of the highest-paid athletes of the decade at the end of 2019, with an estimated income of $400 million over the last 10 years.
Since so many of us are working from home right now, chilling with nothing to do, here are 3 reasons why you should know about Lewis Hamilton.
1. He's a winner
This season, Lewis Hamilton has the chance to tie Ferrari legend Michael Schumacher as the winningest driver in F1 history. Schumacher holds the record of most drivers championships with a total of seven. Hamilton vaulted himself to second place in the history books last season, earning his sixth title and passing F1's original poster boy Argentinian Juan Manuel Fangio who dominated the sport upon its inception in the 1950s with five drivers championships. Hamilton's been racing since he was eight years old, starting with makeshift go-karts that his dad made for him and quickly rose up the ranks, beginning his F1 career in 2007 and winning his first drivers championship a year later. It took him a few more years to catch his stride, but now the seventh title is within his grasp. He also holds the record for most pole positions, starting first in 88 total races.
2. He's smartly stylish
There's only so much you can do with a racing jumpsuit. But off the track, Lewis Hamilton has made a name for himself with his fashion-forward style. Growing up in the 1990s, he's named hip-hop icons Tupac, Diddy and Aaliyah as some of his early influences and he's crafted his own streetwear-infused style watching Virgil Abloh and Jerry Lorenzo come into their own. He's attended multiple Met Galas, appeared on a handful of GQ covers and worked with Tommy Hilfiger on four Tommy x Lewis collections, complete with fashion shows. The latest one featured a collaboration with R&B singer H.E.R. and a runway walked by Naomi Campbell. He's also done collaborations with Police sunglasses and Puma all while being passionate about sustainability and eco-friendly fashion.
3. His social media presence makes him human
Lewis Hamilton is one of the fastest growing social media stars, approaching 15 million Instagram followers. Besides race highlights and behind the scenes glimpses of game day, he shares inspirational messages, vulnerable moments and keys to excellence, giving reasons for his vegan lifestyle or posting videos of himself learning piano. Hamilton has received backlash for some of his unfiltered content, including calling out his young nephew for wearing a dress or complaining that rival Sebastian Vettel's series of wins was making the sport boring (ironic). But somehow he always has the perfect charming response to win everybody over again. Yes, he's a racecar driver, but he's also an entrepreneur, humanitarian and doggy dad who has no shame in a mirror selfie from time to time.
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