Why Lewis Hamilton Turned Down the Chance to Star in Action Movie Alongside Tom Cruise

• Lewis Hamilton was offered a role in the American action drama film Top Gun Maverick
• The F1 superstar, however, turned down the role as he overlooked a deal worth millions
• Hamilton admits he regrets not taking up the role when it was presented by Tom Cruise

What would you do when you were offered a multi-million dollar role in a top film by one of the greatest action film actors of all time?

For Lewis Hamilton, he had the luxury of turning down such an opportunity.

The British F1 star recently opened up on how he missed out on playing a role in the action film Top Gun: Maverick.

Hamilton was offered the chance to play the role of Lieutenant Mickey 'Fanboy' Garcia in the 2022 blockbuster film which is a remake from the 1986 original.

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According to Men’s Journal, Hamilton, 34, was offered the role by 61-year-old Tom Cruise, who has been friends with him since the duo met in 2014 at the set of Cruise’s film Edge of Tomorrow.

Cruise reportedly connected the F1 superstar to Maverick director Joseph Kosinski, who in turn offered him a role in the pilot season of the film.

However, the filming schedule clashed with the final stages of the 2018 F1 season, and Hamilton ultimately had to put his career first and ended up turning down the role.

At the time, the British driver was embroiled in a tight rivalty with Sebastian Vettel for the Championship.

Hamilton’s regret

Recalling to GQ, the 34-year-old, who will soon join Ferrari from Mercedes, admits he wished he took up the opportunity.

“Firstly, I hadn’t even had, like, an acting lesson,” he said, as quoted in the Independent, adding “And I don’t want to be the one that lets this movie down. And then secondly, I just really didn’t have the time to dedicate to it. I remember having to tell Joe and Tom – and it broke my heart.

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“And then I regretted it, naturally, when they show me the movie and it’s: ‘It could’ve been me!’”

Interestingly, both the Maverick film and Hamilton succeeded in their own right as the latter won the 2018 Championship.

Tom Cruise’s film, meanwhile, earned close to $1.5bn at the global box office, with fans and critics saying the film ‘saved cinema’ during the global pandemic.

Candidates to replace Hamilton at Mercedes

Sports Brief also reported on some of the big names that have been tipped to replace Ferrari-bound Hamilton at Mercedes AMG.

The German team was dealt a surprise blow in the early weeks of the 2024 season when the seven-time drivers' champion announced he was joining Ferrari for the 2025 season.

Among the names in the four-man shortlist is Max Verstappen, but chances are slim since he currently drives for the best team on the grid