Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has received a surprising endorsement for a potential post-racing career in Olympic bobsleigh, with Jamaican sprinter Tyquendo Tracey suggesting the British driver possesses ideal skills for the winter sport.
From Track to Ice: A New Sporting Challenge
Tracey, who is currently training with Jamaica's four-man bobsleigh team, believes Hamilton's legendary steering abilities could translate perfectly to navigating bobsleigh tracks at high speeds. "When you see people like Lewis Hamilton going around curves at 200-250 miles per hour, he's going to have the eye for it to be able to manoeuvre a sled," Tracey told Reuters Television. "So, personally, I think he would do very well."
Shared Inspiration from 'Cool Runnings'
The connection between Hamilton and bobsleigh extends beyond mere speculation. Hamilton has frequently cited the 1993 film 'Cool Runnings' – based on Jamaica's pioneering 1988 Olympic bobsleigh team – as one of his favourite movies and a significant inspiration. The film's narrative of Black athletes breaking into a predominantly white sport resonates deeply with Hamilton's own journey as Formula One's first Black champion.
"If I was to do a Winter Olympic sport, it would be bobsledding," Hamilton recently stated in a Ferrari team video. "I always wanted to do bobsledding. There's no Grenadian team, so maybe I would take my best friend Jan and then get a couple of other characters from Grenada and then create a bobsleigh team."
Skill Transfer from Formula One to Bobsleigh
While the 41-year-old Hamilton might not match Tracey's raw speed as a sled pusher – Tracey is a two-time national track champion and sub-10-second 100 metres runner – his unparalleled car control and spatial awareness developed over decades in Formula One could prove invaluable. Olympic four-man bobsleighs can reach speeds of approximately 150 kilometres per hour, requiring precise steering through complex ice tracks.
Tracey, who became more interested in Formula One after watching the recent film produced by Hamilton, regards the British driver as an important role model. "That's my guy. He's my people in a sense," Tracey explained. "So he's automatically a role model for a lot of people just because of where he's from, you know, who he is."
A Legacy of Breaking Barriers
Hamilton's potential transition to bobsleigh would continue his pattern of challenging conventions in elite sports. As the most successful driver in Formula One history with 103 Grand Prix victories, Hamilton has already transformed perceptions about diversity in motorsport. His paternal grandparents emigrated to Britain from Grenada, adding another layer to the potential creation of a Grenadian bobsleigh team he mentioned.
The Jamaican bobsleigh program that Tracey represents continues the legacy of that original 1988 'Cool Runnings' crew, demonstrating how inspirational stories can span generations and sports disciplines. Whether Hamilton ultimately pursues this winter sports ambition remains to be seen, but the endorsement from an active Olympic athlete suggests the theoretical foundation for such a transition exists.
