In an extended nine-minute interview with The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah got to the basics of what makes Lewis Hamilton who he is. Lewis has a tradition of touring the American talk show scene during the week prior to the U.S. Grand Prix, including a visit to Jimmy Kimmel Live two years ago, and Ellen last year. He is a genuine and affable in all of his interviews, but seems particularly comfortable with Noah.
The two bantered a bit about what Formula One is and why Americans don’t know how to answer that question, which is certainly a struggle for us all, before digging into some more serious issues.
The interview touches on Hamilton’s struggles with casual racism in F1 and getting into racing without being from a family of wealth. Certainly the minute or so they spent on those two topics in particular could have been stretched out to a full interview, as both seemed to have been diminished to just a passing mention.
Where Lewis gets really excited is in the discussion of his new clothing line, working with Tommy Hilfiger. His ostentatious turtleneck was met with some ire in some circles, but I kind of like it.
For its faults, the interview is still worth taking a few minutes out of your day to watch. It’s certainly no surprise that he’s an incredibly talented racer at this point, having won four championships and just points away from his fifth, but he’s a pretty good interview, too. It’s possible Lewis will be the face of F1 even beyond his racing career.