After achieving his first world title in 2008 with McLaren, Hamilton made a shock move to Mercedes in 2013, proceeding to win a staggering six world championships.
Niki Lauda, who joined Mercedes in 2012, played a huge role in getting Hamilton to sign for the team, a friendship developing between the drivers over the years.
Lewis Hamilton Brazil 2008Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton 2016
Niki Lauda’s ban on Hamilton fashion parties
Hamilton revealed that despite reaching the pinnacle of the sport, he was ‘quite unhappy’.
In a recent interview with British GQ Hamilton explained the escape fashion has provided, and the resistance he faced in the F1 as a result
“I come from a racing world where me and my dad were really the only people of colour,” he said. “And then when I went to the fashion world, it was so mixed, so diverse. I loved it.”
In 2018 at the height of his F1 success, Hamilton was invited to design five collections for brand Tommy Hilfiger.
When he attended a party in New York celebrating his 2018 collection, he encountered opposition from Niki Lauda.
“The narrative was: Oh, he’s not focused. But I wasn’t out partying late or drinking like that. I got to Singapore, and I delivered one of the best laps that I’ve ever delivered,” Hamilton added.
“And after that, everyone was like, Oh, he can do that. Even Niki would say to Toto: ‘You can’t let Lewis do this! This is not what a racing driver does!’
“But eventually I got him to see it: Oh, maybe he can do those things too.”