Lewis Hamilton once thought Formula 1 was simple — drive fast, win races, lift trophies. But a decade into his career, he realised he couldn’t have been more wrong. Now, as he steps into Ferrari red, one insider says his focus might be shifting more than fans realise.
When Hamilton reflected on his journey with ESPN in 2016, he admitted the sport was bigger — and more complicated — than he’d imagined as a young racer.
“Generally everything has turned out to be bigger and better … but also different,” Hamilton said. “When I was dreaming of being a racing driver I didn’t think of all the things that came with it. I’d only contemplated driving the car and being in that garage… Those were probably more of a surprise when they came along.”
Those “other things” soon became part of Hamilton’s identity. Fashion, activism, brand partnerships — his name carried weight far beyond the paddock. And now, with his sensational move to Ferrari, that balance between racing and brand has returned to the spotlight.
But not everyone sees it as pure racing ambition. F1 insider Kym Illman didn’t hold back when speaking during the summer break.
“Hamilton went to Ferrari with so much stuff — the amount of money, the Lewis Hamilton brand — and the minute we saw him in that black outfit by the F40, it was clear he wasn’t going there to be microscopically focused on just being a racing driver again,” Illman said. “He was loving all this other stuff.”
Illman even admitted surprise at Ferrari boss Frédéric Vasseur’s acceptance of Hamilton’s off-track ventures:
“I’m amazed Fred allowed that to happen because he was just a racing driver.”
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From the bright-eyed rookie of 2007 to the multifaceted brand of 2025, Hamilton’s journey mirrors F1’s evolution. The question now isn’t whether he’ll win — it’s whether being “just a racing driver” is even possible anymore.
