Lewis Hamilton could be forgiven for being obsessed with driving fast, gas-guzzling cars. However, that’s not true, and despite a vast collection of supercars, Lewis Hamilton only drives electric off the track.
Being Environmentally Friendly
Although the cars he drives for his day job are the definition of gas guzzlers, Lewis Hamilton is looking to separate his personal life from speed by driving electric vehicles only. Hamilton recently launched his own team in the electric off-road Extreme E series.
The F1 driver told reporters at the launch that he was doing his best to be environmentally friendly. Hamilton said it can be difficult to try and make a change for the better because people will always mention the F1 car he drives. However, that’s not stopping Hamilton from making a change.
Going Without
As a motor racing star, it’s no surprise that the British driver is also a fan of vintage sports cars. In fact, Hamilton has a large collection of supercars, but he will no longer be taking them out of the showroom. Hamilton explained that he no longer drives any of his vehicular beauties, instead only driving his Mercedes EQC, an electric vehicle.
More Changes
Avoiding driving his supercars is just the beginning for Hamilton. The driver is also a vegan and has driven a Smart car in the past. Hamilton now requests to be picked up from the airport in electric vehicles only, and has even sold his private jet to help combat climate change.
The F1 superstar explained at the launch of his Extreme E team that he was impressed by the new competition. Hamilton appreciates the aims and goals of the original motorsport, including the rule that all teams have a mandatory female driver.
Lewis Hamilton may race in a Formula 1 car most weekends, but when he’s not behind the wheel of a multi-million racing car, he’s driving electric.
Alex Bowman Surprises Fans with his Darlington Throwback Paint Scheme
When Alex Bowman, the most recent winner in the Cup series, partnered with the No. 48 Hendrick motorsports team to surprise crew chief Greg Ives, it was unexpected. The race car driver revealed a seafoam-colored throwback scheme to drive at the Darlington Raceway that pays tribute to Ives’ racing career in Super Late Models.
Sticking to priorities
After the surprise, Ives has confessed to NBC that the team caught him off-guard and expressed his dislike for unexpected gifts and tributes. Alex Bowman also told NBC how Ives could not comprehend what he was seeing at the moment and got emotional once he realized what it was. However, there is a lot more to the paint job story. After Ives’ first full season at the Super Late Models, he was looking for an equipment upgrade to lead him on his journey. “I was a quiet greaseball kid, who only thing he cared about was racing. That was my No. 1 priority. Not girlfriends. Not going to the movies with my friends,” he recalled.
The right color scheme
On his way to his second season in Super Late Models, his father decided to spend $10,000 for a new car, and it meant a great deal to him. Ives’ car seller had insisted that he keep the color scheme, although he was perplexed as to why it mattered. When he pulled into Wisconsin International Raceway, he realized his car was similar to that Jimi Pagel, a renowned driver who passed away during a 1997 crash on the same course. Ives later got to know more about Pagel and continued with the seafoam color, keeping his designs simple. Very soon, it will be back on the Darlington Raceway on national TV for millions of fans.
Alex Bowman adds that he lacked inspiration for his next event’s scheme when he considered Ives’ color and was given the go-ahead by Ally, their sponsor. He feels that the surprise was not just for Ives but for all his team members who were not familiar with its history.