Move over, Elon Musk. There's a new space cadet in town and his name is Lewis Hamilton!
The seven-time Formula 1 World Champion has set his sights beyond the racetrack and towards the stars, revealing his dream to one day venture into space.
In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in space travel, driven by a variety of factors including technological advancements, commercial opportunities, and scientific exploration.
One of the main drivers of this renewed interest is the rise of private space companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic.
These companies have been developing reusable rockets and spacecraft with the goal of making space travel more affordable and accessible to the public, which has led to a democratization of space, where it is no longer solely the domain of government agencies and elite astronauts.
Hamilton has revealed that he has spoken to SpaceX founder Elon Musk – one of the wealthiest men in the world, whose company and Starship system aim to support flights to the Moon and to Mars – about his interest in one day travelling into space.
"Elon’s been to my party in Austin the last two years," said the Mercedes driver in Melbourne earlier this month. "It’s like a dinner party I’ve had, and I’d have these people come around.
"It’s not the easiest thing to speak to someone like that, because his mind is expanded, it’s on such another level, you know.
"So I get all nervous when I’m talking to him. Of course, I talked to him about did we land on the Moon? Where are we going next?"
Apparently, Hamilton's need for speed doesn't stop at 200mph – the seven-time world champion is aiming for warp speed now.
"I am going, yes, at some stage. But I’ll let some other people go first because those things blow up on the way up…
"He’s talking about going to Mars, but I’m ready to go to space at any stage. I told him that I’d fly the ship, but I think it’s all automated!" he joked.
Hamilton doing donuts in zero gravity will certainly be a sight to behold…
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