Among the drivers in Formula 1 history with the most sponsorships is Lewis Hamilton.
In a recent podcast interview, five-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova disclosed that she was taken aback by Lewis Hamilton’s pre-race sponsor duties because of how much work he had to accomplish.
It should come as no surprise that Hamilton has a lot of work to do with his sponsors prior to a race given that he has been in Formula 1 since 2007.
He is statistically the best Formula One driver of all time because he has won more races and taken home more pole positions than any other driver. This is another explanation for his success.
Additionally, he shares seven Drivers’ Championships with Michael Schumacher, which makes him extremely desirable to sponsors.
The 38-year-old has a long list of sponsors for whom he must fulfill obligations, both via Mercedes and through his own relationships.
The 103-time race winner and Sharapova are friends, and they were spotted hugging on the starting grid before the most recent Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, in which he finished ninth.
Before retiring from tennis in early 2020, Sharapova competed at the top level for a considerable amount of time, so she is aware of how draining it can be to fulfill sponsor obligations in advance of an event.
She was in total disbelief and wondered how an athlete of Hamilton’s caliber could defeat his rivals when he was already “drained” when she saw how much he had to do this year before the Miami Grand Prix.
She believes that the fact that Hamilton has been able to win “over and over” in his career despite having put in a great deal of work before even getting behind the wheel speaks volumes about his level of athleticism.
“In Formula One. On the podcast Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, Sharapova stated, “I mean, what Lewis [Hamilton] is doing ahead of a race.”
“I was in Miami when I saw some of his sponsor responsibilities, and I was astounded by how many events and interviews there were. After that, how do you want to go to work when you wake up? When your energy is so low, how can you beat someone?
She continued, “I think it just goes to show you how special it is when that one person or star wins over and over because of everything else they’ve also had to be accountable for.”
According to Sportskeeda, Hamilton already endorses Puma, Monster Energy, Sony, Boss, Bell Helmets, MV Agusta Motorcycles, and IWC, not to mention the work he does for Mercedes’ sponsors.
Not to mention, during the final stages of the 2023 season, he promoted one of his own brands, Almave.
