A couple of weeks ago, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris made headlines in the F1 world when she revealed that she is a big fan of the sport and supports seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. And now, as the US Grand Prix weekend kicks off, Hamilton has reacted to the unexpected news.
In a conversation on ‘The Howard Stern Show’ on October 8, Madam Vice President mentioned that although her busy presidential campaign schedule has made it hard to keep up with races this year, she has always been an F1 fan and roots for Hamilton whenever she watches the races.
When the Mercedes star was asked about this during an interview at COTA (Circuit of the Americas), he expressed his surprise. “I was pleasantly surprised to hear that, I didn’t know that she was a fan,” Hamilton said with a smile.
“It is just very surreal to think that someone in the presidential campaign watches Formula 1, has time to watch Formula 1… It’s kinda crazy to think that maybe in the White House, they’ll be watching Grands Prix.”
‘Big fan of Formula 1 and my favourite driver is Lewis Hamilton’ said Kamala Harris, just a feeling about that?
Lewis : “I was pleasantly surprised to hear that, I didn’t know that she was a fan..just very surreal…kinda crazy that maybe in the white house they’ll be watching… pic.twitter.com/6l2G9bk0pZ
— sim (@sim3744) October 18, 2024
Hamilton’s comments reflect just how much F1 has grown in popularity in the United States over the last few years. Once seen as a primarily European sport, F1 has recently gained a massive following among the American masses, thanks in part to the Netflix documentary series ‘Drive To Survive’.
Moreover, the US is now also hosting three Grand Prix events — in Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas.
Someone as high-profile as Kamala Harris being a fan of Hamilton is a testament to the Briton’s influence both on and off the track. Hamilton has become a global icon, not only for his success in F1 but also for his activism on issues like racial equality, diversity, and the environment, something that Madam Vice President holds dear to her heart as well.
