Lewis Hamilton went topless on Abu Dhabi GP podium to show off new tattoo
People would pay good money to see Lewis Hamilton strip – but the Mercedes star once handed fans a show for free.
Hamilton was in a giving mood after hoovering up his fifth Formula 1 world championship in 2018, and he ended the season in style by topping the podium at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Never one to miss an opportunity, the 38-year-old lapped up the limelight for the last time that year before going topless in front of the masses.
The display wasn't entirely without purpose, however, as the Silver Arrows star later revealed his reasons for the unravelling. And it was with the intention of drawing attention to one particular tattoo splayed across his back.
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"I’ve always wanted to do it," said Hamilton when asked about his celebratory strip. "I wanted to show ‘Still I Rise’, and I think it was the perfect moment because that’s really how it’s been this year."
The racing icon is covered in body art and has the phrase 'Still I Rise' tattooed above a giant cross sprouting angel wings on his back. Although Hamilton has accumulated a heft collection of ink over the course of his career, he appears particularly proud of the messaging associated with his signature piece.
What do you think is the most iconic podium moment in F1 history? Let us know in the comments section below.
Hamilton won two more titles in succession following his 2018 triumph before Max Verstappen started his reign of dominance for Red Bull. The Dutchman had already clinched a third straight world championship of his own prior to Sunday's Abu Dhabi GP, which brought the curtain down on a disappointing year for Hamilton and Mercedes.
“I really would encourage anyone who doesn’t know what ‘Still I Rise’ is, it’s a poem, please go and read it,” added Hamilton. “It applies to anybody who’s stumbling and falling.
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“Like Billy Monger, he’s been an inspiration to me this year, which I’m sure he’ll find really strange because he probably looks up to me in the sense that he wants to be in Formula 1. But what he’s done, and so many people who’ve gone through difficult times, that’s really what ‘Still I Rise’ is all about. I’m trying to be as big a spokesman I can be about it. So that’s really why I did it.”
The Silver Arrows know their superstar will be back in the driver's seat for 2024, but Hamilton may need to take some of his own advice after finishing third in this season's standings. The veteran needs just one more world title to finally overtake Michael Schumacher's joint-record of seven F1 crowns, but Mercedes' engineering may not be sufficient to get him across the line.
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