In a world where superheroes from Marvel and DC are brought to life by movies and celebrities, it seems to make pop culture crave for something close to the real thing. In the world of sports, superfans have actualized their own version of real-life superheroes through fierce athleticism and profound skill. It’s no wonder why the West glorifies sporting events like the World Cup or the Super Bowl, bringing in huge promotions and revenue from such events months before or even after, make sporting events such an experience for fans and followers. Whether it’s basketball, football, baseball, or tennis among many other popular sports, the demand for the best of the best athletes to show up and compete is what continues to fuel the sports industry.
In Formula 1 racing, the sporting superhero title goes to a number of names who continue to dominate in and out of the race track. Britain’s most prized export in racing, Lewis Hamilton, also happens to be a five-time Formula 1 champion. The 34-year-old British race car driver sat down with US TV’s most iconic late night host, David Letterman, to discuss his lifelong commitment to racing. The much-anticipated interview may not be another worldwide sporting event the whole planet is counting down the days for, but is a TV moment everyone who loves sports and entertainment is keen on seeing. Letterman’s Netflix show, “My Guest Needs No Introduction” will return for a second season on May 31st with five new guests he will be sitting down with, one of five being Hamilton himself.
Handling Hamilton
In the ten years Hamilton has been professionally racing, much of the media has sensationalized the Brit and has made him look like the racing superhero of sports no one saw coming in the mid-2000s. The racing champion, who managed to bag an estimated 68 racing victories, shared a more personal side to his life in the interview with Formula 1 fan Letterman. According to Metro UK, the famed driver didn’t always have a good childhood, being another victim of bullying as a small colored kid in Britain.
Hamilton’s childhood and upbringing may have set him back as a small kid who was picked on a lot, but it did not stop him from becoming the successful sports icon that he is today. “I was bullied up until that point and I get in a car and I was good at something,” Hamilton told Metro. Once he figured out that his talent lay behind the wheel, nothing seemed to have slowed him down from becoming one of the most celebrated icons in racing.
In a special preview for Letterman’s Netflix show returning by the end of the month, the Formula 1 champion brings the Formula 1 fan around, while the two attempt to conduct quality content for the streaming giant. According to MSN, the self-proclaimed Formula 1 fan who used to be a supporter since the fifties managed to freak Hamilton out for a while there, pleasantly surprising the racing champ with the 72-year-old’s need for speed.
The Hoot with Hamilton
If the world didn’t get to see the face under the racing helmet, everyone would suspect a familiar plot like from the classic race movie, Herbie Fully Loaded. However, unlike the movie, everything that made Hamilton the successful kingpin in race car driving is all thanks to life itself. After ten years in racing, the championship racer managed to bring home another victory this past weekend where he won the first event of the biggest day in motor sports, the Monaco Grand Prix. According to For the Win, Hamilton was able to beat the likes of Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel, and Valterri Bottas to place first yet again.
Aside from Formula 1, the Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most acclaimed and high profile races in the world of racing, with some of the most competitive people in racing consistently failing to try and give Hamilton a run for his money. The British racer showed up with his head held high in his own helmet, which he himself designed.
‘I had a helmet made, last minute, a big thank you to the guys at Bell Racing getting that done for me. I don’t think I’ve ever worn anyone else’s helmet design. Of course I’ve had a bit of [Ayrton] Senna’s mixed with mine, so it was kinda cool,” Hamilton says, according to Autosport. The world’s famous racer also has a knack for design, exiting his winning chariot with the helmet in his hands.
Hamilton may be scoring wins on the daily, making pit stops at David Letterman’s show, or collaborating with helmet designers on the side, but rest assured that the British racing sensation is more than meets the eye for both TV and sports fans alike.
