He’s best known for his exploits on the track, but Lewis Hamilton almost felt the need for a completely different speed thanks to his friendship with Tom Cruise.
The Formula 1 ace, currently having a torrid time at the Tokyo Grand Prix, admits he was offered a role in the Hollywood star’s 2022 blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick.
A sequel to the legendary 1986 film starring Cruise as naval aviator Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, the film grossed $1.496 billion worldwide and is widely credited with digging Hollywood out of the financial hole created by COVID-19 and the global pandemic.
But Hamilton, 39, was left to rue a missed opportunity after conflicting schedules caused the Mercedes driver to turn down a cameo.
speaking to GQadmitted to begging for a role in the film years before principal photography began, when Cruise first raised the possibility of a possible sequel.
He’s best known for his exploits on the track, but Lewis Hamilton almost felt the need for a completely different speed thanks to his friendship with Tom Cruise.
The Formula 1 ace, currently having a torrid time at the Tokyo Grand Prix, admits he was offered a role in the Hollywood star’s 2022 blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick (pictured).
The film is a sequel to the legendary 1986 film starring Cruise as naval aviator Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (pictured).
“I said, ‘Dude, if you ever do Top Gun 2, I’ll even be a janitor. Let me participate,” she recalled.
Despite Hamilton’s limited acting ability, the kind-hearted Cruise introduced him to the film’s director, Joseph Kosinski, but the host soon realized he couldn’t commit to a role.
“First of all, I hadn’t even had an acting lesson,” he said. And I don’t want to be the one to let this movie down.
‘And then secondly, I didn’t really have time to devote to it. I remember having to tell Joe and Tom… and he broke my heart.’
He added: “And then I regretted it, naturally, when they showed me the movie and I said, ‘It could have been me!'”
Hamilton’s admission comes after storming out of a paddock interview following his ninth-place finish at the Japanese Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion’s woes continued as he only managed two points as his worst start to a Formula One season continued.
Mercedes opted for a bold tire strategy following the initial red flag for Alex Albon and Daniel Ricciardo’s crash, while both Hamilton and George Russell attempted a one-stop strategy after the restart.
Hamilton’s worst start to the season continued with a ninth-place finish in Japan during the Tokyo Grand Prix (pictured April 7).
Hamilton walked out of an interview after being asked if he was “jealous” of the speed of Ferrari, the team he will join for the 2025 season.
They made two stops again after Hamilton abruptly insisted over the team radio: “Change strategy.”
After the race, a journalist asked him if he was jealous of Ferrari, the team he will drive next year, after they finished third and fourth with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.
Hamilton was not impressed by the question and replied, “Do you have a better question?”
The journalist apologized, but before they could ask any more questions, Hamilton walked away and his press officer simply said: “Thank you.”
In another interview, Hamilton revealed that he suffered damage after the restart following contact with Leclerc.
He said: ‘The car is never what I expected it to be. It’s never what we expected it to be.
“I think I suffered some damage in the first stint on the restart with Charles.” [Leclerc] and I had huge understeer, like huge, huge understeer.
“That’s why I decided to let George [Russell] because it seemed faster and I just couldn’t turn the car.
“It took us two stints to finally score more and more wings to make up for that loss. In the last stint I was better, but it was too late, I had 10 seconds to recover.”
Hamilton had problems during the race and had to let his teammate George Russell pass.