Former McLaren engineer Marc Priestley has lifted the lid on the Formula 1 party scene, sharing vivid memories of Lewis Hamilton's wild 2008 title celebrations and contrasting the seven-time champion's style with legends like Michael Schumacher.
Hamilton Takes Over The Decks
Priestley, who worked with Hamilton during his early career at McLaren, described the festivities that followed the driver's maiden World Championship win. Hamilton clinched the 2008 title in dramatic fashion at the Brazilian Grand Prix, snatching the crown from Ferrari's Felipe Massa on the very last lap.
The victory sparked immediate jubilation in the McLaren garage, which then spilled into a nightclub. According to Priestley, Hamilton fully embraced the moment. "Lewis Hamilton can be great at the parties," Priestley told Casino Uden Rufos. "I remember when he won his first world championship in 2008, he brought his girlfriend at the time, Nicole Scherzinger. Hamilton took over the decks at a nightclub we were at and was DJing most of the night."
The party took a turn for the surreal when Scherzinger, the former Pussycat Dolls singer, grabbed a microphone and began singing, with Hamilton joining in. "I've seen all sides of him!" Priestley remarked.
A Different League to Schumacher and Raikkonen
Despite Hamilton's enthusiastic partying, Priestley was clear that the British driver does not rank among the sport's most legendary revelers. That accolade, he suggests, belongs to Ferrari icon Michael Schumacher and the famously ice-cool Kimi Raikkonen.
"I can imagine Max Verstappen and Michael Schumacher would have had some good fun but I don't think it would have been anything like the Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen parties, which I went to a few of," Priestley explained.
He singled out Raikkonen for particular praise, describing the Finn as a driver who took both his racing and his social life to extreme levels. "Raikkonen was a great guy, he took his racing and partying to extreme levels. He would drive his car amazingly with record lap times, but he would party like crazy. Raikkonen was like a 22-year-old kid but also a millionaire."
The Changing Party Culture in F1
Priestley also reflected on how the party atmosphere in Formula 1 has evolved, largely due to the omnipresence of smartphones and social media. He noted that modern young stars like Lando Norris and Max Verstappen may feel more constrained.
"Lots of these drivers coming through now are still very young, like Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, but they need to have a bit of fun," he said. "But, awareness of being recorded will always be in the back of their minds, and the old drivers never really had to worry about it."
In a bygone era, a discreet word with a photographer could ensure an incriminating picture never saw the light of day. "If a photographer took a picture of something a driver wasn't supposed to do, they'd ask if the photographer could give them the picture or film and it would never go any further," Priestley recalled. "Now, if someone takes a picture on their phone, it's online forever."
Priestley's anecdotes paint a picture of a more uninhibited time in the sport, with Hamilton's 2008 DJ set serving as a memorable, yet comparatively tame, chapter in Formula 1's rich history of celebration.
