Motorsport

LEWIS HAMILTON revealed he felt like a Formula One outcast because drivers didn’t like his flamboyant style. The seven-time world champion arrived in the sport aged 22 in 2007 and immediately made an impression on and off the track.
Lewis Hamilton is a lover of tattoos and jewellery as well as being one of the greatest F1 driversCredit: Julien Delfosse / Every Second Media / DPPI
Lewis Hamilton loves to wear his wonderful fashion to race circuitsCredit: AP
But as well as being arguably the greatest driver to get into an F1 car, the Brit loves his fashion, tattoos and jewellery.
And legend Hamilton opened up on his struggles to feel part of the community when he made his entrance to his beloved sport.
He told Vanity Fair: “I didn’t feel like I was welcome. I didn’t feel like I was accepted.
“God knows how many of these drivers say, ‘This is not what a Formula 1 driver is. That’s not how you behave. This is not how you do it.
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“‘Tattoos? No! A Formula 1 driver doesn’t have tattoos! A Formula 1 driver doesn’t have a personality – and piercings!'”
Hamilton’s love of jewellery has got him in trouble with FIA chiefs in recent months with threats of a ban if he failed to remove all his bling for races.
But the Brit refused to bow down to their commands and instead responded by putting on a whole collection for a press conference in Miami in May, even warning he would willingly take a ban.
Hamilton added: “Since I was a kid—rules [shakes head]. I’ve never loved being told what to do.
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“People love to have power. And to enforce power.
“Because I’m the only one that has jewellery on, really.
“I just put on as much as I could.
“As I said, I can’t remove at least two of them. One, I can’t really explain where it is.
“I was just f***ing with it!
“I don’t have any other piercings anywhere. But I love that there’s this thinking, ‘S***, has he got his balls pierced?'”
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Hamilton remains the only black driver in F1 history and has been a phenomenal advocate for making the sport more accessible to all races and cultures as well as standing up as a voice against discrimination and injustice.
But it has not come without plenty of backlash and animosity from many.
He has the words Powerful Beyond Measure tattooed on his chest, a reference to the quote from writer Marianne Williamson: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.”
Hamilton said: “I read it, and I thought it was one of the greatest sayings ever.
“We limit ourselves the majority of the time. And where it really hit me hard is: we should never have to dim our light in order to make others feel….
“If anything, we should shine as bright as we can to liberate others to do the same. I live my life by that quote.
For so long, I was dimming my light because I felt uncomfortableLewis Hamilton
“For so long in my life, I felt like I was dimming my light because I felt uncomfortable.
“Those early years [in F1], we were just always trying to fit in. My dad’s just, ‘Don’t talk about that, just blend in.’
“When I was at school, I was dyslexic and struggling like hell and one of the only few black kids in my school, being put in the lowest classes and never given a chance to progress or even helped to progress.
“Teachers were telling me, ‘You’re never going to be nothing.’
“I remember being behind the shed, in tears, like, ‘I’m not going to be anything.’ And believing it for a split second.
“I don’t actually hold any grudge against those people, because they fueled me up.”
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Back on the track, Hamilton and his Mercedes team have seemingly recovered from many of their early-season car issues to get themselves into the campaign.
The Stevenage star recorded five podiums in a row heading into the summer break, including a brilliant surge from seventh to second in Hungary last time out.
He opened up on not feeling welcomed by other driversCredit: Rex
The star has plenty of tattoos including on his handsCredit: @lewishamilton More

LEWIS HAMILTON turned down a part in Top Gun: Maverick alongside Tom Cruise due to his F1 commitments. The seven-times World Champion was desperate to make an appearance on the big screen in the huge summer blockbuster.
Cruise and Hamilton are good friends, and the Hollywood star can often be seen attending racesCredit: Getty
His mate, Tom Cruise, starred in the sequel as he did in the original 1986 Top Gun, which Hamilton was a big fan of.
The driver revealed he would have taken any minor part to just be in the film.
He was offered the chance to be one of the fighter pilots in the action movie, but could not make it because of his day job.
Hamilton told Vanity Fair: “Basically I’m a friend of Tom [Cruise]. One of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.
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“He invited me to his set years ago when he was doing ‘Edge of Tomorrow’, and then we just built a friendship over time.
“When I heard the second one was coming out, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, I have to ask him’. I said ‘I don’t care what role it is. I’ll even sweep something, be a cleaner in the back’.”
Hamilton soon realised he would not have enough time to fit in the role alongside his preparation for the F1 season.
He added: “I’m a perfectionist. There just wasn’t time.”
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The F1 star also said that turning down the role because of the clash was “the most upsetting call that I think I’ve ever had.”
A consolation for Hamilton is the fact that he is working with global star Brad Pitt on a new Formula One film, with the Mercedes driver a producer for the movie.

Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski is also leading this project.
Hollywood legend Pitt will reportedly perform the role of a veteran driver who comes out of retirement to mentor a young team-mate.
Hamilton is enjoying some time off from the F1 at the moment during its mid-season break.
He has spent his time riding an electric jet surfboard and he travelling to Africa to trace his roots. More

OSCAR PIASTRI could face legal action against him if he does not drive for Alpine next year.The Formula One team announced Piastri as their replacement for Fernando Alonso – who is leaving to join Aston Martin – going into next season.
Alpine’s reserve Oscar Piastri has denied he will drive for the team next yearCredit: Reuters
Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer has warned of legal action against PiastriCredit: Getty
Piastri, right, alongside Alpine drivers Fernando Alonso, centre, and Esteban Ocon, leftCredit: Getty Images – Getty
However, the young Australian driver hit back at these claims in a stunning rebuttal on social media.
Piastri claimed this had been done without his approval and declared he would not drive for Alpine next year following their “wrong” announcement.
But Alpine, formerly known as Renault, believe they have a legally binding contract with him to be in their car next year, and consequently could SUE if Piastri doesn’t sign for them.
Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer said: “I expected more loyalty from Piastri. We have a contract with Piastri which he signed in November.
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“We have spoken to our lawyers and they have told us that this is a binding contract, so part of that contract allows us to put Oscar in one of our cars in 2023.
“We have done seven independent tests with him and this is not cheap at all. The cost of an engine alone is 1,750,000 euros (£1.48million).
“We have spent lots and lots of money on Piastri to prepare him for the future. And, if that future is not with us, it is logical and fair that we seek compensation.”
McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo has been the most extensively linked with the vacant seat, with his poor form at McLaren leaving his future in doubt.
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But Szafnauer has revealed there are as many as 14 drivers who want to join the team due to it being the “most valuable seat left” on the grid.
Despite the rumours surrounding Ricciardo, the Australian has a contract with McLaren for next year, one he would like to fulfil.
Piastri, who is Alpine’s reserve driver behind Alonso and Esteban Ocon this season, has been linked with replacing Ricciardo at McLaren.
Szafnauer added: “There should be some loyalty to the fact that we have invested literally millions and millions of euros to prepare him. So I don’t understand it either, you should ask him.
“I’ve never seen anything like this.
“He should have it with that team that has taken care of him, that has taken him to the World Championship and, above all, that during the last year has put him in a Formula 1 car so that he would be ready (to go into F1).
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“I started in 1989 in Formula 1 and I’ve never seen anything like this. And it’s not about Formula 1, it’s about integrity as a human being.”
This entire ordeal began when Aston Martin driver Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement from F1 at the end of the season, who could yet be offered a chance to return to motorsport via Formula E.
Daniel Ricciardo’s McLaren seat is up in the air at the momentCredit: Getty More

LEWIS HAMILTON has bravely opened up over a disgusting racist attack he suffered at the hands of a father and son.Speaking to Vanity Fair, Hamilton says he’s only now facing up to the traumatic experience which happened when he was just 11 years old.
Lewis Hamilton has opened up on a racial attack he suffered at the age of 11Credit: Rex
Hamilton was kicked and racially abused by a father and son in NewcastleCredit: Instagram, @lewishamilton
The seven-time Formula One world champion, 37, has been a leading voice in the drive for sporting and social equality.
And Hamilton says his battle against racism has led him to revisit certain past events in his life.
Hamilton explained: “There’s a lot of feelings that I suppressed at the time that I didn’t even realise that I suppressed.
“Emotions and feelings that I had when I was younger, and it all came up.
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“[Go-karting in Italy and France] There was a lot of the N-word going around.”
One such encounter in England saw Hamilton racially abused and attacked when he was only a kid.
The future Mercedes superstar was just 11 or 12 years old when he was heading to the shops for some cakes.
Hamilton was in Newcastle at the time seeing his mother and stepfather.
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But he was viciously attacked in the street by a father and son, who knocked him to the ground and kicked him while shouting: “Go back to your country.”
Hamilton revealed: “Even today I remember how terrifying it was. I really, really couldn’t understand it.
“It was like, ‘Are they talking to me? I’m from here. What do they mean?’
“I could never understand it. When you’re being attacked, there’s this fear – there’s fear and there’s anger as well because you want to get them back for the pain that they’re causing you.
I just remember a lot of times just being alone, just in tears in my roomLewis Hamilton
“I never spoke about it to my parents. I didn’t speak about it to my mum – I didn’t think she’d understand.
“And my dad, I was probably too scared to tell my dad, because I didn’t want him to think I was a wuss.
“I didn’t want him to think I couldn’t defend myself. I just remember a lot of times just being alone, just in tears in my room.”
Hamilton has since gone on to become arguably the greatest driver in Formula One history.
But he adds he was made to feel unwelcome when he joined the sport in 2007.
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He said: “I didn’t feel like I was welcome. I didn’t feel like I was accepted. 
“God knows how many of these drivers say: ‘This is not what a Formula 1 driver is. That’s not how you behave. This is not how you do it. Tattoos? No! A Formula 1 driver doesn’t have tattoos! A Formula 1 driver doesn’t have a personality—and piercings!’” More