Lewis Hamilton dated Nicole Scherzinger for seven years before splitting in 2015
Lewis Hamilton and Nicole Scherzinger attend the GQ Men of the Year awards on September 2, 2014 in London, England. ; Rihanna and Lewis Hamilton attend the British Fashion Awards on December 1, 2014 in London, England. . PHOTO:
Lewis Hamilton prefers to keep his dating life on the down low.
Through the years, the decorated Formula 1 driver has been linked to numerous women, but he often opts not to confirm any of his relationships. Despite intense speculation surrounding his dating life, Hamilton has only been open about a few of his partners — including his seven-year romance with Nicole Scherzinger.
But after their split in 2015, Hamilton says he “learned the hard way” about keeping his personal life under wraps. Since then, he’s tried to keep his dating life a secret, although rumors have surfaced about potential romances with stars like Rihanna, Rita Ora and Sofia Richie.
Despite the speculation, Hamilton admitted in 2022 that he hadn’t recently been in any long-term relationships. Instead, he’d spent the past few years primarily focused on his career.
“I’m really just super focused on work,” he told Vanity Fair at the time. “I’ve realized that I can’t do two things or three things at once, I’ve got to focus on one. I really wanted to go through a growth process of getting myself to a point where I’m happy on my own, comfortable in my space. So that if I ever do meet someone, it’s an addition, rather than ‘I need you in my life.’ ”
Here’s a look back at Lewis Hamilton’s dating history, from his long-term relationships to his rumored flings — including everything he’s said about his romantic life.
Danielle Lloyd
Lewis Hamilton celebrates on the podium at the 2006 GP2 Series on April 8, 2006. ; Danielle Lloyd after being crowned the winner at the finals of Miss Great Britain on February 25, 2006.
When Hamilton was just a teenager, he met television personality Danielle Lloyd. The pair crossed paths at a nightclub in London, and after exchanging numbers, they stayed in touch. Reflecting on their romance, Lloyd says the pair dated for six months.
“We were both out with friends, but there was a bit of a spark and we swapped numbers. After that I went back to Liverpool and he lived in London but we stayed in touch,” Lloyd told the Daily Mail in 2007.
While she says that Hamilton was a “lovely person,” their age and the distance between them led to the end of their relationship. The pair remained friendly, and Hamilton was even in attendance when Lloyd was crowned Miss England in 2004.
Jodia Ma
Lewis Hamilton and Jodia Ma at a dinner held on the occassion of Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday on June 25, 2008 in London.
After Hamilton split from Lloyd, he met Jodia Ma through a mutual friend at a party in London. The pair had both been students at Cambridge Arts and Sciences College and reportedly became fast friends.
Hamilton and Ma dated for about four years and attended several events together during their relationship, including the AutoSport Magazine awards in London in December 2006.
Nicole Scherzinger
Lewis Hamilton and Nicole Scherzinger celebrate after he wins the Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix at the Hungaroring on July 26, 2009.
In late 2007, Hamilton met former Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger when they were both attending an MTV awards ceremony. The couple soon began dating, with Scherzinger explaining that they were incredibly close despite a seven year age difference.
“We are very similar and can relate to one another a lot. We are both driven people who are serious about our work, so we are very supportive of the time we do have together. Finding time for each other can get complicated, but we find a way to work it out. And it just makes things more interesting when we do get together,” Scherzinger shared with the Daily Mail in 2009, noting that the pair were “spiritually aligned” and had the same sense of humor.
While Scherzinger often attended races and the couple were spotted at events together, they kept the details of their relationship private. Scherzinger explained that they typically tried to “steer clear of places” where they might be seen as the paparazzi made their limited time together “stressful.”
The couple went on to date on and off over the course of seven years. On numerous occasions, the pair were reported to be engaged — and Scherzinger’s father Alfonso even seemingly confirmed the news in 2011. But shortly after the rumors surfaced, Scherzinger clarified things, posting on X (formerly Twitter) that she and Hamilton were not engaged.
“Lewis and I woke up this morning and read we were engaged! Sorry to disappoint u all but its not true:),” Scherzinger wrote, later adding, “Just to reaffirm, Alfonso was misquoted… Lewis and I are not engaged. But thanks for the love and support!”
While Hamilton told E! that he was “feeling pressure” from family members to get engaged in 2014, it wasn’t in the cards for the couple. In 2015, Hamilton and Scherzinger called it quits for the final time after seven years together. At the time, Scherzinger said she was “devastated” about the split.
“I’m devastated that it didn’t work out. It was the hardest decision we had to make, but we made it together,” she said in a statement. “I love Lewis and I know he loves me. We wish nothing but happiness and the very best for one another. I’m trying to stay strong in my faith right now.”
Since then, the exes have kept their distance from one another and in 2016, Scherzinger said they were no longer in contact.
“I don’t see anything negative; I think it’s quite natural when people separate and go their own ways. You just have to be adult about it and just always wish the other person happiness, success and love — like, sincerely — and I do. We don’t, like, talk,” she said on The Jonathan Ross Show, per E!. “I only wish him happiness and success.”
Gigi Hadid
Gigi Hadid and Lewis Hamilton attend the Tommy Hilfiger TOMMYNOW Spring 2019 : TommyXZendaya Premieres on March 02, 2019 in Paris, France.
Shortly after Hamilton’s split from Scherzinger, he was linked to Gigi Hadid. The pair were spotted spending time together on several occasions, beginning with an amfAR gala in May 2015. Later that month, Hadid and a group of friends, including Kendall Jenner, attended the Formula 1 World Championship in France. The following day, the group was spotted on a yacht together, per photos obtained by the Daily Mail.
Then in August, the pair were photographed together at a VMA event, per Daily Mail, — but Hadid was dating Joe Jonas at the time.
While the duo weren’t spotted together for quite some time, they were linked again in 2018 when Hamilton was announced as the new global brand ambassador for Tommy Hilfiger Men’s portfolio, per Grazia Magazine. The pair appeared in a campaign together and Hamilton even gave Hadid a driving lesson.
Although the duo never addressed their rumored relationship, they’ve remained friends through the years and have continued to pose together at various events.
Kendall Jenner
Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Lewis Hamilton, Hailey Bieber, and Bella Hadid.
GIGI HADID INSTAGRAM
Around the same time that Hamilton was rumored to be dating Hadid, he was also linked to her BFF Kendall Jenner. Jenner and Hadid were both at the Formula 1 World Championship in May 2015 and Jenner was even later spotted wearing Hamilton’s gold chain necklace. Jenner was also part of a group that joined Hamilton on a yacht the following day and in June, she joined Hamilton and Hadid for an evening out at Libertine nightclub in London, per the Daily Mail.
Then, in September, Hamilton and Jenner were seen hanging out in New York City — but Hamilton shot down dating rumors shortly after.
“Me and Kendall have been friends for a while, so we’re just friends,” Hamilton told E! News. “She’s doing incredible, she’s very focused, very level-headed, and she’s just — for such a young woman, she’s very grown up.”
Since then, the pair have remained friends through the years.
Rihanna
Rihanna and Lewis Hamilton attend the British Fashion Awards at the London Coliseum on December 1, 2014.
In August 2015, Hamilton was spotted spending time with Rihanna in Barbados. Both Hamilton and Rihanna were in attendance at the Kadooment Day parade and were later spotted aboard a yacht with friends off the coast of the island.
Just a few days later, the pair returned to the U.S. and were seen at a nightclub in New York City. When Hamilton was asked about Rihanna later that month, he said he and Rihanna were just friends.
“You know, I’ve known Ri for a long time,” he told E! News. “We’ve been friends for a while. We get to hang out every now and again but otherwise we’ve just been friends.”
Since then, Rihanna and Hamiton have remained friendly and Hamilton has been known to comment on her Instagram posts.
Rita Ora
Lewis Hamilton and Rita Ora attend the LOVE magazine x Miu Miu party on September 18, 2017 in London, England.
Lewis was first photographed with Rita Ora in May 2015 when they attended the same amfAR gala. The following month, they both happened to be guests on The Graham Norton Show. The pair remained friendly throughout the year and Hamilton even helped celebrate Ora’s 25th birthday that November.
In 2016, dating rumors began swirling around the pair, who were spotted out on several dinner dates together. In November, Ora showed her support for Hamilton at the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix.
The following month, Ora kept quiet when she was asked about the dating rumors but the following month, she shared a video of the pair performing a musical duet in a now-deleted Instagram post, according to the Daily Mail.
The rumored couple never confirmed their relationship but appear to have remained friends, posing for photos during London Fashion Week in late 2017.
Barbara Palvin
Barbara Palvin and Lewis Hamilton attend amfAR’s 23rd Cinema Against AIDS Gala on May 19, 2016 in Cap d’Antibes, France.
Hamilton was also linked to model Barbara Palvin in 2016. The pair were first photographed together while attending a L’Oreal party during Paris Fashion Week in March and then were seen sitting side-by-side at an amfAR gala in May as part of the Cannes Film Festival.
Later that summer, Palvin attended the F1 Grand Prix in Hungary and over the next few months, they were spotted together on several occasions, including the Venice Film Festival and London Fashion Week.
The pair eventually went their separate ways.
Winnie Harlow
Lewis Hamilton and Winnie Harlow attend the 2018 CFDA Awards on June 4, 2018 in New York City.
TAYLOR HILL/FILMMAGIC
In 2016, Hamilton was also rumored to be dating model Winnie Harlow. In July, she attended Hamilton’s Grand Prix victory party in London, an event where Ora was also in attendance, per the Daily Mail. Then, in September, Harlow and Hamilton both attended the GQ Men of the Year Awards and reports surfaced that the pair had been secretly dating for months.
Meanwhile, during an appearance on The Ellen Degeneres Show in October, Hamilton shared that he wasn’t seeing anyone at the moment.
“No I’m not. I was in a long-term eight-year relationship, so I’m focused on my racing and trying to win the championship this year,” Hamilton shared. “I don’t have any plans [for romance].”
Despite the denial, the pair continued to spend time together and in early 2017, he even had a night out in London with both Harlow and Ora. In May, Hamilton was spotted spending time with Harlow at an amfAR gala in Cannes and just a few days later, Harlow showed her support for him at the Monaco Grand Prix. They later were seen vacationing on a yacht off the coast of Monte Carlo. In July, they were spotted once again, this time enjoying each other’s company in Greece and were later seen getting cozy at a Grand Prix victory celebration.
While it’s unclear if the couple were ever official, they’ve continued to be friends through the years. In 2018, they posed together at the CFDA Fashion Awards and in 2019, Harlow cheered Hamilton on at a Formula 1 race.
Sofia Richie
Lewis Hamilton and Sofia Richie attend the Balmain Menswear Fall/Winter 2017-2018 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 21, 2017.
In January 2017, Hamilton attended a Balmain fashion show as part of Paris Fashion Week, where he sat alongside Sofia Richie. Following the event, both Hamilton and Richie returned stateside, where they were spotted getting dinner together in Beverly Hills, per the Daily Mail.
Despite their 14-year age gap, the pair were often seen spending time together over the course of the next few months. That May, Hamilton and Richie looked close while getting lunch in West Hollywood.
Although they were sighted together, the pair never confirmed their relationship, and Richie began dating Scott Disick shortly after being spotted with Hamilton.
Nicki MinajNicki Minaj and Lewis Hamilon attend the TommyXLewis Launch Party at Public Arts on September 10, 2018 in New York City.
Following Hamilton’s rumored romances with multiple models, he was briefly linked to Nicki Minaj. The pair had previously spent time together while sitting side-by-side at an Alexander Wang fashion show in 2016 but weren’t romantically linked until a few years later.
In September 2018, the pair arrived together for the TommyXLewis Launch Party in New York City. While they didn’t confirm their relationship at the time, Minaj had recently admitted there was a new man in her life.
“Well, there was a new boy but he and I kind of fell back a little bit. And then ….” she said with a laugh during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. “And then there’s a newer … yeah, fairly new. He’s been around for a couple wigs. But I don’t have a boy.”
Then just a few weeks after their red carpet appearance, Hamilton and Minaj shared photos riding an ATV in Dubai together.
“Caribbean tingz what I on. Me & Lewis gettin paper what ink dry on. #Versace,” Minaj captioned the shot.
Following the trip, the pair weren’t spotted together again.
Camila Kendra
L
ewis Hamilton attends The 2021 Met Gala Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion on September 13, 2021 in New York City. ; Camila Kendra at The Cultivist x La Prairie Present The Portrait Revisited on May 17, 2022 in New York.
In 2021, Hamilton was rumored to be dating model Camila Kendra, who was previously linked to Bachelor Nation’s Tyler Cameron. Although details of their relationship were kept low-key, the pair had reportedly known each other for years before things turned romantic. During their alleged relationship, Kendra reportedly posted photos from Hamilton’s Colorado home, per the Daily Mail.
Shakira
Lewis Hamilton in the Paddock prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Miami on May 07, 2023. ; Shakira walks on the grid prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Miami on May 07, 2023.
In May 2023, Shakira and Hamilton were spotted spending time together. After Shakira attended the 2023 F1 Grand Prix, the pair reportedly met when they crossed paths at Cipriani restaurant. Soon after, Shakira was photographed hanging with Hamilton and a group of friends during a boat outing in Miami.
Then in June, Shakira was seen cheering on Hamilton during the F1 Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, Spain. After the event, Shakira and Hamilton headed to dinner with some pals including Daniel Caesar, Fai Khadra and Mustafa — who shared a photo from the outing on his Instagram Story. At the time, sources told PEOPLE that the singer and Formula 1 driver were keeping things “fun and flirty.”
“They’re spending time together and in the ‘getting to know you’ stage,” a source who knew them both shared. “It’s fun and flirty.”