Seven world championships, 105 wins, and 201 podiums are records that might never be broken. However, Lewis Hamilton has achieved much more than just his racing records. The Mercedes driver is an entrepreneur, singer, and fashion icon as well. Over the years, the name Hamilton has become a huge brand. With the seven-time champion leaving Mercedes, Toto Wolff contemplates losing the stardom.
According to GP blog, Wolff said, “Lewis is not just a driver, he’s an icon – on multiple levels. It’s clear for us that Mercedes’ F1 team and the sport get more media coverage just because of Lewis.”
‼️Toto Wolff on the ICON Sir Lewis Hamilton is :
“Lewis is not just a driver, he’s an icon – on multiple levels. It’s clear for us that Mercedes’ team and the sport gets more media coverage just because of Lewis.”
“A new era will start for Mercedes. I don’t know yet, who… pic.twitter.com/2WIaKOcV2K
— sim (@sim3744) August 10, 2024
With Kimi Antonelli reportedly joining Mercedes, Wolff talked about a new era starting for the Brackley outfit. He added, “A new era will start for Mercedes. I don’t know yet, who will be the next era’s important drivers, and I also can’t tell whether we will be as successful as we hope to be.”
Nonetheless, Hamilton’s stardom isn’t just because of his off-track antics, but also his endorsements. Brands like Monster, Puma, Tommy Hilfiger, Rimowa, and Dior have the Briton as their ambassador. Even the people who don’t follow F1 as a sport know about Hamilton, just like they do about Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ventures like the vegan burger chain — Neat Burgers add to Hamilton’s popularity. Even the latest F1 movie featuring Brad Pitt is being co-produced by Hamilton. While the driver is never bigger than the team, Hamilton might just be an exception.
Hamilton’s Ferrari announcement shook the stock market, sponsors could move away from Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari announcement was made on the 1st of February. The rumors started creeping in 24 hours before the official announcement. While the F1 fans were left shell-shocked, the stock markets around the world saw a boom in the Ferrari share price.
Ferrari’s market cap surged by $7 billion as the share price increased by over 10% at the New York Stock Exchange reaching an all-time high. This was the case all around with stock prices rising from 4-10% across the different stock markets.
On the other hand, brands that have been associated with Hamilton for years are now leaving the Mercedes stable. Monster Energy signed with McLaren as the Tommy Hilfiger and Puma partnerships also came to an end.
Hamilton wished to stay with Mercedes but the contract wasn’t good enough. It’s almost impossible to fill in Hamilton’s shoes as the exit is also costing Mercedes big time in sponsorship money. The Brackley outfit also missed the opportunity to sign Hamilton as an ambassador after his F1 career.
