He's better known for his fact-paced feats on the track, but Lewis Hamilton very nearly felt the need for speed of an entirely different kind thanks to his friendship with Tom Cruise.
The Formula 1 ace, currently enduring a torrid time at the Tokyo Grand Prix, admits he was offered a role in the Hollywood star's 2022 blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick.
A sequel to the legendary 1986 film starring Cruise as Naval Aviator Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, the film grossed $1.496 billion worldwide and is widely credited for pulling Hollywood out of the financial hole created by COVID-19 and the global pandemic.
But Hamilton, 39, was left to rue a missed opportunity after conflicting schedules resulted in the Mercedes driver turned down a cameo role.
Speaking to GQ, he admitted to begging for a role in the film years before principal photography began, when the prospect of a potential sequel was first mooted by Cruise.
