Lewis Hamilton is changing his name! All about the British F1 hero

The 37-year-old British F1 champion, Lewis Hamilton, has decided to change his name. Per The Guardian, the seven-time world champion will be adding his mother Carmen's surname and include "Larbalestier" as a middle name.

In a statement to the BBC, Hamilton said, "I am really proud of my family's name. My mum's name is Larbalestier, and I'm just about to put that in my name," said Hamilton. He continued, "I really want her name to continue on with the Hamilton name."

The statement regarding his name change was made just before the beginning of the 2022 season. Hamilton also told the media that he doesn't "fully understand the whole idea when people get married then the woman loses her name."

While the Mercedes driver is in the process of changing his name, it will not be official anytime soon, nor for the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday, March 20.

Lewis Hamilton has had a huge impact on the sport of Formula One since he arrived on the scene in 2007 with McLaren.

After moving to Mercedes in 2013, Hamilton was able to assert his dominance even more and has won the championship title a record seven times thus far in his career.

Lewis Hamilton was knighted for his achievements in motor sports on the 15th of December, 2021. Lewis Hamilton became Sir Lewis Hamilton following the ceremony led by the Prince of Wales at the investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle.

Sir Hamilton's mother, Carmen Lockhart, proudly attended the ceremony honouring her talented son.

Lewis, at age 36, is the fourth Grand Prix driver to receive this honour; however, the first to be knighted while still driving. Sir Jack Brabham (pictured), Sir Stirling Moss, and Sir Jackie Stewart were knighted before him.

In addition, Hamilton is the only Black driver in the history of F1 and has taken the opportunity to use his fame to speak up and promote equality, campaign for environmental issues, and LGTBQ+ rights.

Unsurprisingly, given his success, not only is Lewis Hamilton the best-paid driver in Formula One, but he is also the eighth best-paid athlete in the whole world. According to Forbes, Lewis has earned $82 million in 2021 so far, between salary and endorsements.

In July of 2021, the Brit signed a new two-year extension to remain with Mercedes until 2023. According to talksport.com, "his new deal is understood to be worth £40million a year," or around $55 million. In any case, Lewis Hamilton is rich and only getting richer! So what does he spend all of his money on??

Lewis Hamilton reportedly owns four different properties. According to The Sun, Lewis owns a $24 million London mansion.

(Photo: Instagram @lewishamilton)

In addition, the F1 star also owns a house in Geneva, another home in Monte Carlo, and a $43 million New York penthouse. Well, the experts always say that real estate is a sound investment!

Obviously, given his profession, Lewis Hamilton is into cars! According to RacingNews365, Hamilton has an impressive collection which includes: a $2.72 million Mercedes-AMG Project One, two $1.56 million Ferrari LaFerraris, and a $1.15 million McLaren P1.

(Photo: Instagram @lewishamilton)

Hamilton also enjoys off-road vehicles as well, as can be seen on his Instagram account. Lewis called himself a "motor head" in this post about enjoying some time fooling around on an off-road buggy.

However, with his newest car, a Mercedes, of course, Hamilton is trying to be more environmentally aware. The racing champ talks about going electric with his EQS fully electric Mercedes in this post on Instagram.

At one point, Hamilton even owned his own private jet. According to EssentiallySports.com, in 2013, he bought a Bombardier Challenger 605 worth $22.5 million. However, perhaps in an attempt to be more environmentally friendly, Lewis sold it in 2019.

Formula One drivers constantly work and train while the season is on, so relaxing is a must when they get time off. Lewis Hamilton works hard, and by the looks of his Instagram account, knows how to play hard too!

(Photo: Instagram @lewishamilton)

From jet skiing to surfing to skiing, Hamilton seems to really enjoy taking time to explore the great outdoors worldwide. He clearly spends a significant amount of his funds on vacationing in exotic places.

(Photo: Instagram @lewishamilton)

Roscoe, Lewis' British Bulldog, is one of his best friends, and he is VERY well cared for.

(Photo: Instagram @lewishamilton)

Dogs come with many costs, but when you are constantly traveling around the world and taking your furry friend with you, the price is pretty hefty.

(Photo: Instagram @lewishamilton)

Lewis Hamilton is also very into fashion and has endorsement deals with Tommy Hilfiger and Puma. Hamilton is often photographed arriving at the race track in a variety of designer outfits.

The 36-years-old Mercedes driver is also a fan of the MET Gala, and according to Elle Magazine, he even paid for three young black designers to attend the event this year.

Elle reported that Hamilton invited Theophilio, Kenneth Nicholson, and Jason Rembert to sit at his table. He paid for their tickets at around $30,000 each.

Lewis spoke to Vogue about his generosity, saying: "The Met is the biggest fashion event of the year, and for this theme, I wanted to create something that was meaningful and would spark a conversation."

Not only does Hamilton talk about standing up for different causes, but he also puts his money where his mouth is. According to ESPN, in July of 2021, he made a personal pledge for $27 million to a UK charity called Project 44.

Project 44's objective is to create opportunities for those that come from underrepresented backgrounds. According to ESPN, Hamilton said: "Supporting the ambitions of underrepresented young people has always been important to me and Mission 44 represents my commitment to create real change within this community."