With 36.8 Million Followers, Lewis Hamilton Reveals the Truth About Being Famous: “It’s Not All Great”

Lewis Hamilton is one of the most followed athletes in the world and the seven-time F1 champion knows that he has to use his status to inspire others to be better. Ahead of the Miami GP, Hamilton admitted that being as famous as him, is not as glamorous as some think it to be.

With 36.8 million followers on Instagram, no F1 driver has a bigger social media presence than Hamilton. He posts content surrounding his daily life, his ventures on and off the F1 track, and also snippets from vacations he takes during his time off. But when asked about his popularity, Hamilton said,

“It’s not all great.”

Hamilton quickly realized that with so many eyeballs on him, he has to make sure he doesn’t do or say anything that people perceive negatively. With time, he learned to live with the attention he received, but dedicated his social media activities to bringing about positive changes.

“Ultimately it’s not really about you,” the Briton added. “It’s a platform to do good. If you have the right intentions you can actually have a real positive impact, I think that’s really what it’s mostly for.” 

Positive impact on society is something Hamilton has preached for the majority of his F1 career. Unlike most on the F1 grid, Hamilton prefers being outspoken about issues he feels need to be highlighted.

Lewis Hamilton’s fight for positive change

Over the years, Hamilton has posted multiple pictures and stories, which reaffirm his stance on issues he wants resolved. More inclusivity in F1, LGBTQ+ rights, and promotion of women in motorsports are some of the things he has spoken about.

Most recently, F1 Academy boss Susie Wolff admitted that she wants the young drivers in her series to take inspiration from Lewis Hamilton. The 39-year-old previously took time out of his schedule to go to the F1 Academy paddock and motivate the young female drivers looking to make a mark in the world of F1 and motorsport.

Additionally, Hamilton being the only black driver in F1 is an issue that has bothered him since day one. He also noticed the lack of diversity within the paddock, which is why he launched the Hamilton Commission, which aims to include people from different backgrounds in F1 by providing them with employment opportunities.