“Ultimately I’m a sporting fan,” said Hamilton. “It is the biggest sport in the world. Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in the world and most successful.
“It’s what excited me as a kid. I remember collecting all the stickers… you could go down to the store and get those books. I remember filling all those up as a kid and and trading them for pennies, trading sweets with other kids for the most valuable cards.
“When I was younger, I was trying to be the best player — to play for a team. I was trying to try out for Stevenage Borough but then I ended up following racing.
“I could have only ever dreamed of being part of a team and an actual integral part of a team. So that’s for me the most exciting thing.”
Tennis champion Serena Williams is also involved in the bid and Hamilton said that he had discussed it several times with her; both were approached by the consortium.
Lewis Hamilton was invited to train with Arsenal by Arsene Wenger, but also has links to Chelsea
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“We were contacted,” said Hamilton. “Sir Martin took time to speak to me on the phone and explain his and his team’s goals if they were to win the bid. It’s incredibly exciting and it very much aligned with my values.
“When I heard about this opportunity, I was like, wow, this is one of the greatest opportunities to be a part of something.
“It’s the excitement that first and foremost comes comes to mind. And then yes, of course it’s a business venture.
“We haven’t won it yet. But if we do, there’s lots of opportunity to get involved more and more over time, which is super exciting and particularly beyond racing, of wanting to help with the success they’ve already had and help it be even more successful.
“The part that we’re very aligned in is DnI [diversity and inclusion] and what they’ve already done there. You’ve seen, in that sport, there is still a lot of work to be done to being more diverse and more inclusive.”
