When Lewis Hamilton quits from racing, he plans to concentrate on “film and fashion”.
As he gets ready for a significant switch from Mercedes to Ferrari next year, the Formula One star is already considering his post-race plans. He has said that he has consulted with some of the biggest names in sports who have since retired from competition.
“I’d spoken to so many amazing athletes, from Boris Becker to Serena Williams, even Michael Jordan,” he said in GQ’s annual Creativity Issue. Speaking with legendary athletes that I’ve encountered along the road, some of whom are still competing or are retired, makes me realize how unprepared they are for what is ahead.
Many of them said things like, ‘I stopped too soon,’ ‘I stayed too long,’ ‘I had nothing planned when it ended,’ and ‘My whole existence fell apart since that sport is all I’ve ever known.’”
“Some of them said things like, ‘It was kind of a mess-up because I was extremely lost after, because I didn’t plan. That kind of hole existed. Such a gap. Furthermore, I had no notion how I would fill it. And at first, I tried to fill it so quickly that I filled it with the incorrect stuff.
However, it simply made me consider, ‘Well, how do I avoid that when I stop?’ I therefore started taking my search for other passions seriously.”
“I went through this phase of realizing that I can’t race forever,” he continued. Because I’m going to drop the mike and be glad when I stop.”
Lewis continued by saying that although he has many interests, he needs to focus, so he has chosen to concentrate on cinema and fashion. He also plans to launch a luxury brand company to compete with LVMH, which is home to brands like Givenchy, Christian Dior, and Tiffany & Co.
“The challenging thing is that I want to do everything,” he clarified. I have high goals. I take that back; I don’t think the phrase “can’t” exists. Nevertheless, I see that you are incapable of doing what you need to.
“It takes 10,000 hours to become a master at anything. I have, of course, done that in racing. Not enough time to learn everything there is to know about these various things.
“I believe it will revolve around fashion and movies. To be very honest, I’ve considered opening my own varied LVMH as a fantasy. I mean, I’m not sure whether that’s really feasible in the times we live in. However, I’m still conceptualizing that.
In the past, Lewis has dabbled in music and film, having established Dawn Apollo Films, his own production business, and working with Tommy Hilfiger, the American fashion designer.
