The city seems ready for him—and for Formula 1. More than 300,000 fans and sponsors showed up in Miami, and early estimates suggested that they spent as much or more as the crowd in the city for the 2020 Super Bowl. Oh—as for the action on the track Max Verstappen from team Red Bull won—ahead of a pair of Ferraris, with Russell coming in fifth and Hamilton sixth—bringing Verstappen within 19 points of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, currently atop the leaderboard for this year’s driver championship. And speaking of points Befriending the Mercedes team or one of its sponsors is likely the only way you’ll find your way into the Ritz Carlton Silver Arrows Lounge for the next big race. The experience is literally one that money cannot buy, but you can bid on it with Bonvoy loyalty points—think frequent flier programs but for stays within the Marriott hotel group. (One Bonvoy superfan recently set a record for bidding, putting up 3.8 million points to secure a few nights aboard the Mercedes Petronas F1 team yacht during this year’s Monaco race.)We caught up with Hamilton to throw a few questions his way about the newfound popularity of Formula 1 in the States, his high adrenaline off track activities—and his deep love of fashion.
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?
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