A man of many talents, Lewis Hamilton doesn’t rely on the adrenaline F1 gives him to live life to the fullest. The Briton spends a chunk of his time away from the track partaking in various adventure sports, something that allows him to push to the limit.
That’s something Hamilton also likes to share with those close to him in F1. However, his former Mercedes teammate, Valtteri Bottas — someone he admitted was his best teammate of all time from 2017 to 2021 — never took much interest in Hamilton’s adventures. He even labeled Bottas as an ‘old soul’ because of this.
Thankfully, Hamilton will not have to force his new partner to join him for a similar activity.
Charles Leclerc is an adrenaline junkie as well, which could be something that makes the Monegasque Hamilton’s new favorite teammate.
New photos of Leclerc surfing were shared across social media on Wednesday in the build-up to the Australian GP. And for Hamilton, it’s a good sight because, somewhere down the line, he could bond with Leclerc over a surfing session.
Other than that, the #16 driver has also been spotted skiing in the off-season multiple times — another activity that Hamilton enjoys.
Leclerc, however, admitted that he did ‘chicken out’ of doing things in the past. In a conversation with Jay Shetty, he revealed that although he loved the idea of bungee jumping, he couldn’t make the jump. That’s where Hamilton could come in.
The Stevenage-born driver’s last teammate George Russell was not very fond of the ocean either. Hamilton changed his mind, and took him surfing.
Really fun times trying some new things. I’ve never been very comfortable in water but have enjoyed pushing myself outside my comfort zone. A few small bruises later, we’re away! pic.twitter.com/OzagZOl3pM
— George Russell (@GeorgeRussell63) August 9, 2023
“I’ve got him in the pool and I think he’s got the bug now,” the 40-year-old said to 10 sport two years ago.
Hamilton – F1’s adventure sport flagbearer
F1 drivers aren’t afraid of danger — if they were, racing wouldn’t have been their choice. However, when it comes to fully immersing themselves in adventure sports — activities many consider dangerous — many choose to opt out.
Hamilton never feels like that.
The seven-time world champion considers himself an adrenaline junkie, and even near death experiences don’t spoil his fun. Once, while surfing with the legendary Kelly Slater in Hawaii, Hamilton came face to face with a 25-foot wave which he decided to tackle head on, despite Slater advising him against it.
“I dived down and grabbed the reef and prayed. I could hear the thing land behind me, like a bomb going off. My board got ripped off and snapped in half. I was very close to the end. But that excites me for some reason,” Hamilton revealed.
The ex-Mercedes driver doesn’t seem to be afraid of the consequences, which is what makes adventure sports so fun for him. Leclerc seems to be getting the hang of it as well, and perhaps with Hamilton by his side, he may also start enjoying it more.
Who knows? By the end of 2025, we could see the two Ferrari drivers bungee jumping together or maybe jump off a plane with a parachute.
