Lewis Hamilton with fans in Spa in 2023. (Image: Getty)
There are few F1 superstars who need a bigger entourage than . At 39, the star has not won a world title since 2020, but remains the most marketable name in the sport amid a lucrative move to .
According to , the icon is worth around £300million, ensuring he continues to .
But despite his wealth, fans are still seemingly keen to shower him with gifts, not least of all at the Belgium Grand Prix weekend last year.
In a new book Inside F1: Life In The Fast Lane, Matt Whyman has given an insight into the security operation that goes with taking Hamilton to and from the track. And on this occasion in Spa, he was reportedly bombarded with presents, which included pictures, cards, and even cuddly toys.
“Just now, the visiting bodyguard is focused on not dropping any of the gifts in his arms, from good luck charms to drawings, cards and teddy bears,” wrote Whyman. “They’ve been presented to the driver by fans as he made his way through the paddock.”
But paranoia seemed to be paramount. Whyman then described how the items were all then handed in to be checked over, with liquids disposed of and every last gift checked for possible tracking devices.
Hamilton will join Ferrari next year. (Image: Getty)
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Adam McDaid, communications manager at the Silver Arrows was then said to have boxed up all the items to be stored away. He then declared “That’s pretty dark,” a reference to having to make sure that Hamilton had not been targeted.
Hamilton, who burst onto the scene with in the 2007 campaign, is renowned for employing extra people to ensure his safety. He is often surrounded by a number of security guards at races to stop him from being mobbed by fans.
But Hamilton has also previously claimed his rise to fame and fortunate hasn’t changed him. “The thing is about fame is at the end of the day, it is not really real,” he said back in 2021.
“Obviously, you are perceived as being someone they call a celebrity but just because we are on TV a little bit. It’s definitely surreal when people recognise you at a restaurant or walking down a street. But at the end of the day, you’re still the same person, we are still human beings, still do the same thing.”
Hamilton’s popularity is unlikely to waver in what could be his final two years in F1. His lucrative new deal with will last until the end of the 2026 campaign, taking him past his 41st birthday.