"I’ll even sweep something, be a cleaner in the back"- Lewis Hamilton on how desperately he wanted to work with Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick

Lewis Hamilton was in-line to feature in the movie Top Gun: Maverick, but because of the packed schedule of F1, he had to let go of the role.

Speaking to Vanity Fair, Hamilton revealed how when the news of a remake of the 1986 classic Top Gun popped up, he reached out to its lead actor Tom Cruise for a role in the movie. Expressing his desperation to work on the set, the Briton said he would have played any role, be it a sweeper or a cleaner, to feature in the movie.

Hamilton said:

“So when I heard the second one was coming out, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, I have to ask him. I said, ‘I don’t care what role it is. I’ll even sweep something, be a cleaner in the back.’ ”

It turns out that Lewis Hamilton was supposed to feature in the movie, not as a sweeper, but as one of the fighter pilots. The problem with all of this was the tight schedule of F1 as the shooting would coincide with the business end of the championship. Not wanting to compromise on his preparations, Hamilton had to make the call to the producers and decline the offer.

He said:

“I’m a perfectionist. [And] There just wasn’t time. [It was] The most upsetting call that I think I’ve ever had.”

Hamilton also touched upon how he enjoys a great relationship with Tom Cruise and considers him a friend. According to the Mercedes driver, the first interaction between the two was when Cruise invited him to the sets of the movie Edge of Tomorrow a few years ago. Since then, the friendship has only grown stronger between the two.

He said:

“One of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. He invited me to his set years ago when he was doing Edge of Tomorrow, and then we just built a friendship over time.”

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Lewis Hamilton wondered if he wanted to continue after 2021 F1 Abu Dhabi GP

The way the whole safety restart procedure was conducted by Michael Masi in the last race of the 2021 F1 season left a lot to be desired. It also snatched the title away from Lewis Hamilton and gave it to Max Verstappen.

Speaking about the incident, Lewis Hamilton revealed that he was unsure if he wanted to continue after all that happened. Remembering the whole course of events, he said:

“You can see it’s starting to unfold in a way. My worst fears came alive. I thought ‘no way’ they’re going to take this away from me. Absolutely not. That’s not going to happen. Right? I can’t describe in words how I felt. I can remember sitting there in my car, in disbelief.”

“Then I realized I had to take off my seat belt, get out of there, get out of the car, find strength. I didn’t have it. It was one of my toughest moments in a long, long time. I knew what had happened, I knew certain decisions had been made and why. I knew something was not right. I wondered if I wanted to continue.”

The conclusion of the 2021 F1 season is still a source of argument among fans across the world.