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Before dwarfing Lewis Hamilton on podium Shaquille O’Neal lifted ex F1 driver as a trophy

Somin Bhattacharjee
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Before dwarfing Lewis Hamilton on podium Shaquille O’Neal lifted ex F1 driver winner as a trophy

Credits: Twitter

Shaquille O’Neal has been a very popular figure among F1 fans over the last few years, because of his involvement in the sport. The NBA legend is one of the biggest sporting names in the world, and the spotlight is always on him when he travels to watch an F1 race. At last year’s US Grand Prix in Austin, the 7″1 former center stood next to Lewis Hamilton, and completely dwarfed him.

There were plenty of memes and pictures circulated on social media after the podium celebrations in Austin. Hamilton finished the race in second, and so was P2 on the podium but O’Neal wasn’t even standing on the podium. Still, the former LA Lakers player stood tall (just about!) However, that wasn’t the first time O’Neal’s relatively huge size to F1 drivers was on display.

Back in 2001, O’Neal was in the prime of his basketball career and was playing for the Lakers. That year, he attended an F1 race where he dwarfed German F1 driver Nick Heidfeld. In fact, the 15-time NBA all-star piked Heidfeld up like a trophy with ease!

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Shaquille O’Neal watches F1 only for Lewis Hamilton

O’Neal won over the internet at the 2021 US Grand Prix during the podium celebrations. The very next year too, he made a comment that Hamilton fans in particular will love to hear. O’Neal arrived at the Circuit of the Americas as a DJ for the 2022 installment of the US GP, and a reporter asked him, “How big of an F1 are you?”

O’Neal’s answer was short, sweet and he won over the internet once again. The two words he replied with were, “Lewis Hamilton.” Hamilton is one of F1’s greatest ever, but he’s also very popular among other celebrities and athletes.

The seven-time World Champion has plenty of admirers in the US other than O’Neal. Sporting legends like Serena Williams and Tom Brady are huge fans of the Mercedes ace as they’ve stated on several occasions in the past. Hence, it’s no surprises that O’Neal’s favorite driver in F1 is Hamilton too.

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About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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