Dubai: Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton will change his name to honour his mother Carmen Larbalestier, he revealed on Monday as he prepares to challenge for a record eighth world title.
The 37-year-old said he would add his mother’s surname to his - most likely racing as Lewis Hamilton-Larbalastier - in a move that would take place “soon”.
“My mum’s name is Larbalestier and I’m just about to put that in my name,” the Mercedes driver said in an on-stage interview at the Dubai Expo 2020 in Dubai.
“Because I don’t really fully understand the whole idea when people get married then the woman loses her name. And my mum, I really want her name to continue on with the Hamilton name.”
Hamilton said he was “working on” the name-change but that it would not take place before this week’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
Larbalastier divorced Lewis’s father, Anthony Hamilton, when their son was young but he lived with his mother until the age of 12.
The Briton, who was pipped to his eighth world title in controversial circumstances at last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, was non-committal about his future, saying he was taking it “one day at a time”.
But Hamilton, who took a two-month break from social media before reappearing in February, added: “I’ve come back to fight for that eighth (title), that’s what I’m here for.”
In an interview with Sky Sports, Hamilton said the relationship between him and rival Red Bull’s driver Max Verstappen is ‘normal’ but ‘ruthless’. He added that the pair are going to be ‘ruthless’ on track once again into the new season.
Verstappen goes into the new season as the defending champion after securing his maiden world championship in the 2021 season finale at Abu Dhabi, with Hamilton looking to bounce back and win a record-breaking eighth title.
Hamilton said he bears no grudge with Verstappen and feels he has plenty in common with the Dutchman.
“For me and Max, we’re seeing each other in the paddock, things are normal,” Hamilton quoted as saying. “We are two individual drivers who have a lot in common in the sense of how much we love doing what we do, driving.”
“On the other hand, we’re ruthless. He is ruthless, that’s how you have to be, I would imagine in business but hopefully with a bit of compassion. But we are fighters out there, there are no friends on the track. Some days we get it right, some days we get it wrong, but what’s important is when we get back out, we are human beings and we do keep the respect.”
