With Lewis Hamilton moving to Ferrari at the end of the 2024 season, shooting a documentary following the Briton’s final season with the Silver Arrows could turn out to be a great idea. This idea stems from the fact that Variety.com reported in 2020, that Michael Jordan’s ‘The Last Dance’ garnered 23.8 million views in the first month of release.
‘The Last Dance’, released on Netflix takes fans on a journey into Jordan’s last season with the Chicago Bulls and the events preceding it. It turned out to be one of the most influential docu-series of all time, and became a super-hit among fans of several sports.
There have been several more hit series that racked up millions of views. HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’ (2001), Amazon Prime Video’s ‘All or Nothing’ Franchise, and ESPN’s ‘O.J.: Made in America’ are all examples of the same. A documentary encompassing Hamilton’s final year at Mercedes could easily become a part of the same club.
Given Hamilton’s 11-year history with the team, the emotional significance would be as high as can be. Pair that with the possibility of him winning a record eighth world championship with the Brackley-based outfit, and you have the perfect recipe for a hit documentary.
At the Brackley-based outfit, Hamilton won six of his seven world titles, and changed the face of F1. This impact he had on the sport can be a great subplot of the documentary.
Apple TV garnered immense success with its ‘Make or Break’ documentary and brought immense popularity to the sport of surfing. A Hamilton documentary could resonate with an even bigger audience. As such, Mercedes might lose out on a golden opportunity if they don’t secure a documentary deal soon.
A separate Lewis Hamilton documentary already in the works
In 2022, Apple TV+ acquired the rights to produce a special documentary chronicling Hamilton’s life. It will showcase the 7x World Champion’s journey through his personal and professional life. The documentary crew has earned full access to follow Hamilton and include behind-the-scenes footage alongside interviews from Hamilton and his team.
The documentary will add to Apple TV+’s growing stock of investing in non-fiction programs. They previously released a docu-series called ‘They Call Me Magic,’ which followed NBA Hall of Famer Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson’s life. With them adding Hamilton’s documentary, Apple TV+ could stand to benefit further. Given the 39-year-old remains the only black F1 driver in history, a documentary on him would add to the diverse offerings by the platform.
