How Lewis Hamilton ended lifestyle speculation at CONTROVERSIAL Singapore '18

Lewis Hamilton

How Hamilton ended lifestyle speculation at CONTROVERSIAL Singapore '18

The seven-time world champion has pursued interests outside F1, with Toto Wolff's support

Lauren Sneath

Thursday 29 June 2023 13:57

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Toto Wolff has revealed how Lewis Hamilton’s unconventional hobbies threatened his success – until Hamilton put speculation about his commitment to rest with a stellar performance.

Hamilton, who has been with Mercedes for 10 years and with them won six world drivers’ championship titles, is also passionate about fashion.

Mercedes team principal Wolff recalled in the new F1 documentary ‘Secrets of Success’ how not everyone was accepting of Hamilton’s creative endeavours – but he always permitted the driver to pursue his sartorial ambitions.

Wolff: I saw the happiness on his face

Wolff explained how grateful Hamilton was to be permitted to launch a collection with Tommy Hilfiger in 2018, hosting a runway show in Shanghai just before the Singapore Grand Prix weekend.

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Hamilton was then late to a meeting after the event, leading some to question his commitment and professionalism.

But Hamilton’s incredible performance in qualifying, and then in the race when he ‘took the lead and disappeared into the distance’, proved them wrong, Wolff said.

The team principal explained: “Lewis Hamilton is a friend of mine and his drive to be creative, successful in the fashion industry is something that I permitted from the beginning. Because we have that pact, he performs."

Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff are friends and colleagues

Wolff added: “On that particular week I remember I was sitting with the engineers and he was FaceTiming me, saying” ‘Can you believe that I'm on the catwalk in Shanghai, launching my own collection with Tommy Hilfiger, I can't believe it, thank you for letting me do this.’

“I saw the happiness in his face, and I knew that when he came to Singapore he'd be on it, because he's in a good place.”

Wolff continued: “He came late, and then I has a press conference and the journalists were all over me saying it wasn't professional, to miss the first meetings.

“I just smiled. Then in qualifying he put out a lap that is unseen. Then on Sunday he just took the lead and disappeared into the distance and was never seen.

“That is the moment people stopped telling me and telling him what to do and how to lead his life.”