Hamilton wants to become an icon like Muhammad Ali
After meeting the boxing legend at a charity event, Lewis Hamilton is full of praise for Muhammad Ali and even admits his desire for people to speak of him in such terms one day.
Beyond his 56 victories in 61 fights – 37 of which were by KO – beyond even his array of world titles and his gold medal won at the Rome Olympics in 1960, Muhammad Ali is much more than just an athlete: he is a sports legend, an icon, an idol.
« Light like the butterfly, stinging like the bee, » the American boxer, according to some, has greatly contributed to revolutionizing the noble art through his duels with Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, and George Foreman, just as Pelé did with football or Ayrton Senna with Formula One.
All champions therefore aspire to one day imitate these idols. Everyone knows of Lewis Hamilton’s admiration for Ayrton Senna, but some might not be aware of his admiration for the American boxer he had the chance to meet at a charity sale organized at the Victoria & Albert Museum where Muhammad Ali was the guest of honor: « It was absolutely incredible as he is undoubtedly the greatest boxer of all time, » recounts the McLaren driver. « I have a lot of books and videos about him, so he’s a true icon for me, even if he’s not really from my generation. The legacy he has left will last for many years, and it’s simply phenomenal. I can only hope that in a few years, someone will say something similar about me. It’s always a big dream. »
As he crossed the threshold of a hundred Grand Prix starts, slightly disappointed not to have accomplished more than he already has, Lewis Hamilton opened what he hopes to be a new chapter of his story in Hungary. The Briton began it in the best possible way with a pole position and a victory, but at only 27 years old, there is no doubt that he will have time to write more beautiful pages in the great book of Formula One… Enough to make him an icon on par with Ayrton Senna or Mohammed Ali? Only the Englishman knows the answer.
