Lewis Hamilton reveals why he’s swapped supercars for electric cars

As one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers in recent years, Lewis Hamilton has quite the car collection. However, it now seems that these cars will be forever confined to the garage according to a recent announcement made by Lewis.

This isn’t the first time that the multiple championship-winning F1 driver has announced that he is scaling back on his luxuries. Earlier in 2020, he sold off his personal jet plane in an attempt to offset his carbon footprint.

Citing “environmental reasons” for selling his jet, Hamilton now insists on all airport transfers to-and-from events being in electric-only vehicles to minimize his environmental impact. For a man that races cars for a living, he is certainly far more openly eco-conscious than many of his competitors.

Instagram: @lewishamilton

Lewis with his Mercedes-AMG GTR.

Lewis Hamilton’s incredible car collection

Perhaps most surprising is that this desire to minimize his carbon footprint extends to his incredible collection of cars. Being a professional racing driver by trade, Hamilton has an incredible collection of cars sat in his garage.

Ranging from modern-day heroes such as the McLaren P1 and Ferrari LaFerrari to old-school-cool with his 1966 Shelby Cobra 427, he has an eclectic and varied personal garage. Further highlights include a Ferrari 599 Aperta, Pagani Zonda 760, and a Mercedes AMG GTR.

• Read more: Forza developers reveal how they make super-realistic AI drivers

Now it seems that these cars will be relegated to museum pieces or perhaps even sold, following an announcement from Hamilton at the Mugello Grand Prix.

“I don’t drive any of the cars that I own anymore”

On Thursday, September 10 in the lead up to the Tuscan GP at Mugello, Hamilton told reporters “I don’t drive any of the cars that I own anymore. I only drive my [Mercedes] EQC.”

Lewis also shares an insight into his eco-conscious journey on his Instagram page: “The first step in this journey was to understand my personal impact on the planet so I could make changes to improve it. Since then, I have offset my carbon footprint from my Formula 1 career dating back to 2007.”

Launch of Extreme E X44 team

The move to an almost fully-electric lifestyle also coincides with the news that Hamilton will be launching his own team in the new Extreme E off-road racing series. Named X44 after his F1 car number, the Extreme E championship is on track to launch during 2021.

• Read more: UFC Champion Conor McGregor’s insane car collection cost calculated

As a voice of change for many both within F1 and wider pop culture, it will be interesting to see if other high-profile celebrities follow in Hamilton’s footsteps to reduce their environmental impact.

For now, there is no news of his garage being sold off, so hopefully, the collection will live to be seen another day.