Lewis Hamilton revealed he will focus his efforts on running his own film and TV production company when he finally decides to end his Formula 1 career. The 37-year-old remains linked to Mercedes until the end from 2023 as it stands, but has previously insisted he expects to continue racing for at least a few more years as he chases a record eighth Drivers’ Championship title.
However, Hamilton already appears to be planning his life away from the paddock, having set up Dawn Apollo Films with the aim of focusing entirely on the business when he is no longer behind the wheel. He explained in an interview with Deadline that he believes in finding other passions after speaking with many former athletes who struggled to cope after retiring from their respective sports.
“When I stop running, which I don’t plan on doing for a while [as] I always feel like I’m well placed, I want it to be smooth,” Hamilton said.
“I want to be able to move on to fully focus on Dawn Apollo Films and be able to jump to a level similar to what I’ve been used to. I’ve spoken to people who say, ‘Look, when I’ stopped everything falling apart, I wasn’t ready to do anything else, I hadn’t taken the time to learn other trades, other skills, and I don’t know what my other passions are .'”
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Dawn Apollo Films already has two projects in the works, one of which is a documentary about Hamilton’s life due for release in late 2023 or early 2024. The other is an F1-themed film starring Brad Pitt, whose filming should start. at race weekends in the second half of next season.
“I’ve always loved movies,” Hamilton added. “I watch a lot. I find it to be a real escape. There are a lot of films that I find inspiring and I’ve always dreamed of doing something in this space one day.
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“I was often asked if I was going to act. I was very lucky to be an F1 driver, so I never really had the time to dedicate myself to acting, but one of my dreams was about telling stories. I sat down with my team, and I asked, ‘What would it take to start a production company?’
“I went around and met an array of producers and filmmakers in Los Angeles just to get some knowledge, one of them was Jeffrey Katzenberg. The goal is to create impactful stories and ultimately , to inspire people through movies and storytelling. A lot of the new business will be about social impact, community and causes, that’s very important to me.”
Hamilton is still racing at the moment, which means his cinematic ambitions will have to be put on hold until his F1 career comes to an end at some point later. He is desperate to win another Drivers’ Championship title before ultimately choosing to retire as he seeks to become the most successful driver of all time by breaking Michael Schumacher’s long-standing record.
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