Lewis Hamilton clarifies his desire to change his name

The news of the past week was marked by the return of F1, the double of Ferrari, the setbacks of McLaren but also by more improbable news. Guest of the Universal Exhibition in Dubai, Lewis Hamilton said he was considering changing his current last name, to include his mother's last name alongside his father's. The Briton had already started the process and announced the change would be coming soon. At a press conference in Bahrain this weekend, the pilot Mercedes returned to his remarks, allowing us to shed a little more light on this choice coming from the heart.

“I didn’t want my mother’s name to be forgotten”

“I've been thinking about it for a while, I've always been close to my parents, confides the Briton. My mother and mother-in-law have always been incredible to me, thanks to them I grew up having a lot of respect for women. I was very saddened by the passing of my maternal grandfather, and I felt for a while that I needed to do this, add my mother and grandfather's name to my last name. I already have my paternal grandfather's name, Davisdon [his full name is Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton], I wanted him to be there too. »

The timing of this announcement could have surprised more than one, a few days before the first meeting of an undecided season and all the dangers for Mercedes hegemony. But we could have started with the main person concerned, who did not yet have it to his own mother...

“It was supposed to be a surprise, I had to announce it first to my mother (Laughter) before the general public knew it. But that escaped me. I have already started the process, it will be registered as a last name, alongside the others […] She has been very happy and proud since she learned it. I wanted to encompass my whole family, you know, we only have one family, there are no others like them. I didn't want my mother's name to be forgotten, now it can continue for future generations. »

If the British driver has not specified an effective date for this change, it should still quickly appear on his official papers, to the delight of the Hamilton-Davidson-Larbalestier family.