Mercedes F1 driver Lewis Hamilton received an amazing opportunity from Tom Cruise to ride on his World War II famed P-51 Mustang airplane. The Silver Arrows ace recently opened up about this with ESPN as he gears up for the second United States race this of the season. The F1 star has been friends with the Hollywood movie star for quite some time now.
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In a recent report published by ESPN, Hamilton spoke about the $4 million worth offer. He said, “Tom has an amazing World War II plane and he’s been telling me ‘anytime you want to go up in it’ and I’ve never been up in it. I think he took James Corden up in it a while ago, so I’ve got to get myself out in it.”
Talking about the pilot’s license, the Mercedes star further stated, “I’m already looking into how and when I can do my pilot’s license because I know Tom is fully licensed and is amazing in both helicopters and planes. He’s been telling me to get a flight simulator for ages, so I think it’s about time.”
Admittedly, Hamilton backed out from being a part of Top Gun: Maverick movie after Cruise invited him for a role. The 37-year-old cited the extremely busy schedule of F1 as the reason for not being able to be in the movie.
Lewis Hamilton geared up in the Top Gun avatar
Lewis Hamilton, who once rejected the invitation for the Top Gun: Maverick movie due to his hectic F1 schedule, has put up a new avatar ahead of the United States Grand Prix race this week. The F1 driver turned into a pilot of a stunning Top Gun-styled airplane for the day.
1 day to be amazed. #IWCRacing@LewisHamilton @MercedesAMGF1 ❤️🔥 #IWCPilot pic.twitter.com/1OkZfoQlJI
— IWC Watches (@IWC) October 18, 2022
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Since Hamilton is in the United States for the Austin race, he made sure he takes a tour of the San Diego airfield in California and be a part of IWC’s Big Pilot event. The Briton is a long-time brand ambassador for the Swiss watchmakers IWC, who hosted the event to showcase their latest watches.
Apart from the Mercedes ace, there was the IWC CEO, Christoph Grainger-Herr, and others like Kurt Klaus, IWC’s legendary former head watchmaker, and professional skier Eileen Gu, taking part in the event.
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IWC’s official Twitter handle shared photos of Lewis Hamilton with the airplane, where Hamilton was seen making hand gestures toward his fans. As things stand, we won’t be surprised if, one day, Hamilton is seen in a movie with Tom Cruise.