Classy Lewis Hamilton gesture helped female racing star celebrate on podium with him

F1 Academy managing director Susie Wolff has revealed a time that she shared a podium with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.

Wolff forged a successful racing career in Formula Renault, British Formula 3 and the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters before she was given an opportunity in F1 in 2012.

Wolff became test and reserve driver with Williams, and that resulted in an FP1 appearance at the 2014 British Grand Prix, with Wolff still being the last female racer to take part in an F1 race weekend.

Now, Wolff is the managing director of F1 Academy, the all-female racing series that seeks to give more opportunities in single-seater racing for female drivers, with the hope of one day yielding a female F1 world champion.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Wolff has revealed a classy gesture from seven-time F1 champion Hamilton, who used to race in the Formula Renault UK series alongside Wolff.

Hamilton won that particular series in 2003 as an 18-year-old, and Wolff revealed that in one particular race, Hamilton helped to open the champagne bottle for her so that they could celebrate together on the podium.

It was a race at Snetterton Circuit in Norfolk, and Hamilton had won the race while a 20-year-old Wolff had finished third.

Susie Wolff's F1 legacy

In 2014, Wolff made history by becoming the first woman in over 22 years to participate in an F1 race weekend, taking part in practice sessions for Williams at the British Grand Prix.

While an engine issue ended her participation in that British GP weekend after just one lap, she later went on to drive in a free practice session at the German GP, finishing 15th and only 0.227 seconds behind team-mate Felipe Massa.

In 2015, she participated in two more grand prix weekends, including another practice session at Silverstone, where she secured a respectable 13th place.

By the end of the year, Wolff had announced her retirement from racing, but remained deeply committed to the sport. After retiring in 2015, Susie Wolff became a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion in the sport.

In 2016, she founded 'Dare to Be Different', an organisation that aims to inspire and empower the next generation of female talent and bring more women into motorsport.

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