The sky’s not the limit for Lewis Hamilton

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Lewis Hamilton has often regretted turning down Tom Cruise's offer to appear in the Hollywood epic 'Top Gun: Maverick'. But hold your tears – his foray into the Polaris space training program may have dulled the sting of that missed blockbuster opportunity.

Thanks to the support of long-standing Mercedes sponsor IWC Schaffhausen, Hamilton got to channel his inner Maverick for real, zooming into the world of jets and G-forces.

It's worth noting that early space exploration required pilots to master flying jets, as it prepped them for operating in oh-so-casual "high-risk, high-consequence" environments, meaning they needed nerves of steel and a stomach of titanium.

In an adrenaline-fueled training session alongside Ploaris instructor John “Slick” Baum, Hamilton took the controls of an L-39 Albatros jet, executing complex maneuvers, experiencing zero gravity, and pulling an eye-watering 7.5 g in flight.

Hamilton deals with high G-forces all the time in F1, so he handled the pressure like a pro. But even “Slick” Baum was floored by the way the racing legend handled 7G, which is enough to make most people feel like overcooked spaghetti.

It turns out, Sir Lewis isn't just built for the podium – he might just be built for the cosmos.

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.