Nerves of steel—that’s what top-level motorsport drivers possess, and few have demonstrated it as much as Lewis Hamilton over the years. Imagine spending the final moments before heading out on track to break a world record by playing a game on PlayStation. That’s exactly what Hamilton did eight years ago.
Hamilton pulled off what could be described as “a Verstappen.” But he did it before the Dutchman made it cool. Christian Horner revealed that before the 2021 US GP, his driver spent all night playing FIFA on his console and went on to win the race the next day. He did the same thing in Bahrain last season.
As it turns out, Hamilton is also a pretty avid gamer and carries his console around.
In 2017, the qualifying session before the Italian GP was delayed due to heavy rain. But instead of preparing by analyzing data or keeping his mind focused, Hamilton took his PlayStation to then-teammate Valtteri Bottas’ room.
The Q1 timer had already begun when Hamilton and Bottas were caught on camera exchanging a few laughs while playing a motorbike game. But in no way did this distract the Briton.
After the session, it was business as usual, as Hamilton went on to grab P1, finishing 1.1 seconds ahead of Verstappen. It was also his 69th pole, taking him one place clear of Michael Schumacher as the F1 driver with the most poles in history.
❌ analyze data while qualifying session is delayed
✅ bring playstation into your teammates’ room so you can play togetherlewis then proceeded to break michael’s record for most pole positions in a career on the same day pic.twitter.com/cujmoQM5Vj
— moreau (@rbullvettel) March 7, 2025
Hamilton went on to win the race rather comfortably, with Bottas finishing in P2. A smooth and relaxed weekend for the Stevenage-born driver, who showed no signs of being under any sort of pressure—an attitude Verstappen has exhibited in recent years.
Hamilton PlayStation sessions
Hamilton has never been closely associated with gaming, a hobby more commonly linked to the younger drivers in the sport. But that’s perhaps because he doesn’t talk about it much or share many pictures.
In an older interview, he revealed that he has a habit of carrying his console wherever he travels and even invites his fellow drivers over for some duels.
“I travel with my PlayStation gaming set so I can play online,” the Briton said. “Last weekend, I played online with Pierre Gasly—we played Call of Duty together—and sometimes Charles [Leclerc] comes online as well.”
Hamilton is such a big fan of consoles that Mercedes even organized a retro video game session for him last year to relive his childhood memories. The Briton played classics like F1 2000 and Gran Turismo on a PS1, using an old television to complete the nostalgic experience.
The way he raced in F1 2000, he probably won’t be playing that again. “I lost my touch on this game. I suck,” he admitted after running the car deep into the gravel.
He fared much better in Gran Turismo, though, managing to keep the car on track for most of the race and even finishing in second place. A Verstappen vs Hamilton battle in Gran Turismo in the cards? Who says no?
