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Image Credit: Imago
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via Imago
Image Credit: Imago
The 2023 F1 season is almost at the door. All the teams with their drivers and engineers are in Bahrain for the pre-season testing, including Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes. As the Silver Arrows star and his team prepare for the big fight against Max Verstappen and Red Bull, they received a much-needed impetus from an unlikely source. Bubba Wallace, the NASCAR bigshot, recently backed the Briton and his company for the big season coming up ahead.
Wallace lent out his support for Hamilton and Mercedes on his official social media account. The NASCAR star put up a video from Mercedes’ first ride at Silverstone on his Instagram story. The video had Lewis Hamilton taking a drive in the Silverstone circuit with the brand-new W-14.
Jumping onboard with Lewis for his first laps behind the wheel of W14 at Silverstone 🤩🖤 pic.twitter.com/HSGPaEI5GT
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) February 22, 2023
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This, interestingly, might be considered as a payback to the Briton when Hamilton took the initiative to wish the American before his NASCAR drive at Daytona in 2018. Hamilton wrote, “Hey @BubbaWallace! Wishing you the absolute best today in your race. Smash it!!”
On a side note, Formula 1, as a sport, has reached a new height in the United States of America recently. As the sport managed to drill through the motor enthusiasts, it also took in aficionados and professionals from different sports. Wallace’s active support and his invitation to Hamilton is a prime examples of that.
Bubba Wallace once considered Lewis Hamilton as his role model
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The 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace once opened up about Lewis Hamilton being his idol. The American in a report published by St. Louis American stated that the Mercedes driver was his favorite choice as a driver when he played the F1 game back in the day.
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KANSAS CITY, KANSAS – SEPTEMBER 11: Bubba Wallace, driver of the #45 ROOT Insurance Toyota, vl the NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on September 11, 2022 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
Wallace told to Don Riddell of CNN Sport, “There was nobody to identify with. I remember always playing the F1 2010-11 game on Xbox and I’d pick Lewis Hamilton every time. I became a huge fan of his and see what he’s going through. He’s a huge role model of mine.”
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WATCH THIS STORY: Lewis Hamilton Finds Himself in an Unusual Situation With His Teammate for the First Time Since 2007
Admittedly, Bubba Wallace and Lewis Hamilton share a dynamic relationship between them. Being from a black background, the driver duo not only represents the black community but also acts as a pioneer in the field of motorsport and more.