Ever wondered what happens when F1 royalty meets actual royalty? Lewis Hamilton has had the honor of meeting the UK royal family more than once, including being knighted by Prince Charles (now King). Though he is mostly identified with his British roots, the 7-time champion also had ancestors in Benin, Africa, a place he recently visited for a two-night stay.

Hamilton was greeted by the Benin royal family, allowing him to explore the land freely during F1’s stress-free summer break. Being F1’s first black driver, the Briton also has roots in the Caribbean, with his father hailing from Grenada. Additionally, the pinnacle of motorsport’s truly global schedule has also facilitated countless international trips for him.

“I started traveling when I was 13. I’m very lucky to have been able to see the world,” Hamilton gratefully told Elle magazine. “It’s very different when you start traveling at a young age. Everything is a first time. The first time in Brazil, the first time in Italy… That newness is so special. It’s sad that you won’t have that first time again, because it’s very difficult to have that same feeling.”

The Mercedes driver also described how lucky he feels to have F1 enable the exploration of different lands and cultures. “Experiencing different places and especially different cultures has really helped expand my mind and my understanding of the world, how vast it is, and how different people interact. At the same time, we’re all human beings and we have a lot in common. I feel like it’s helped me understand humanity better, have compassion, and I think you can be a better person when you have that understanding, as opposed to being in one city or country for many years,” he added.

Though Hamilton is utterly grateful to F1 bosses for his travel experiences, he doesn’t agree with the sport’s seemingly reckless expansion. With 24 races on the 2024 calendar, drivers and teams are having a tough time adapting to the constant travel.

Lewis Hamilton is against F1’s unsustainable global expansion

Lewis Hamilton is F1’s ‘Mr. Worldwide’ (if Pitbull would let him have that title). Besides his roots in the UK, Africa, and Grenada, the 7-time champ also has an honorary Brazilian citizenship. The South American country loves him as they did their late home hero, Ayrton Senna. Though Hamilton finds it exciting to revisit the places where he won hearts with his sensational performance, 24 races feel like too much.

“I think similar in the sense that we are on the limit already, maybe already over it,” Hamilton said, echoing Carlos Sainz’s views about F1 really pushing the calendar threshold. “But I think we just have to be conscious of quality versus quantity. We also have to think about the impact that we have on the world. The more races that we put on this whole circus is traveling everywhere so sustainability has to be at the heart of the decisions that they’re making.”

Nonetheless, in this record-breaking long F1 year, Hamilton is racing better than ever. He has won two of the last three races, breaking his unwanted streak of 945 days without a win. Mercedes has returned to their old championship-winning form in this farewell year for their champion. The second half of 2024 promises a tight battle for more victories with the Silver Arrows riding a wave of success. Are there more trophies to be earned for Hamilton to conclude his 12-year Mercedes journey?