Lewis Hamilton explains why he declined role in £1.2billion blockbuster movie with Tom Cruise
Lewis Hamilton has revealed his regret of not starring in Top Gun: Maverick despite F1's busy schedule standing in his way.
Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise returned for the second instalment of the Top Gun movie franchise in 2022 as US Navy captain Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell.
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Hamilton, who had acting roles in Cars 2 and Cars 3, became friends with Cruise when he visited the set of Edge of Tomorrow in 2014.
Fast forward four years and the latter put the Mercedes star in touch with Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski, who offered him a role as a pilot.
But with Hamilton fighting for the 2018 World Championship title and filming requiring around two weeks on set, he had to decline.
It's a missed opportunity he has been left to rue though as he told : “Firstly, I hadn’t even had, like, an acting lesson. And I don’t want to be the one that lets this movie down.
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"And then secondly, I just really didn’t have the time to dedicate to it. I remember having to tell Joe and Tom, and it broke my heart.
"And then I regretted it, naturally, when they show me the movie and it’s: 'It could’ve been me!'â€
Hamilton went on to win the F1 World Championship in 2018, beating Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel to claim his fifth title.
He may have missed out on Top Gun: Maverick, which grossed around £1.2billion worldwide, but he's helping to bring F1 from the track and onto the big screen.
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The 39-year-old's production company, Dawn Apollo Films, are working with Apple Studios to make a movie starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris.
As part of filming for the so far unnamed film, the duo were given their own garage at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone last year.
F1 star Lewis Hamilton opens up about his big move from Mercedes to Ferrari for the 2025 season
Apex Grand Prix is their fictional team name, with a gold and black liveried car driven round the iconic circuit in Northamptonshire.
Away from production and back on the real track, Hamilton is driving in his final season for Mercedes before his switch to Ferrari in 2025.
He currently sits tenth in the drivers' standings after three races, with a seventh-place finish in the Bahrain Grand Prix his best this season.
Hamilton was forced to retire after only 16 laps of the Australian Grand Prix last weekend due to an engine failure.
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