The 49th and current Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris has shared her passion for Formula 1 and the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
Harris is not the only American politician to show their support for the sport this year as former US president Donald Trump was a guest for McLaren at the Miami Grand Prix.
McLaren faced a lot of backlash from fans for accepting Trump’s request to visit the team’s garage at the race weekend.
Despite this, the Woking-based team welcomed the controversial figure as he showed his support for Lando Norris who took his maiden victory in F1 that weekend.
Trump’s presidential opponent Harris has now shown her loyalty to the sport in an interview with Howard Stern on Sirius XM.
When she was asked about her interest in F1 she said: “It’s so good – we love it, our whole family does.
Veteran broadcaster Stern proceeded to question whether her fixation with the sport was “a campaign thing” to which she explained: “Oh, god no! I haven’t been able to watch it a lot recently, because I am campaigning.
“Also, depending on where they are driving, the time of day.”
Kamala Harris confesses love for Lewis Hamilton
Interest in F1 has significantly increased in the US ever since Netflix’s hit series ‘Drive to Survive’ began back in 2019 and when it aired season two during the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
The 2024 Miami Grand Prix had the largest live US TV audience for F1, with 3.1 million average viewers on ABC and a peak of 3.6 million, as reported by ESPN.
F1 fever has clearly hit the 59-year-old presidential candidate as well and when she was asked who her favourite driver is she quickly replied: “Lewis Hamilton, of course.”
Harris added that: “He’s leaving Mercedes,” as she told the interviewer that: “You should see it, you might get hooked, it’s good stuff.”
The British driver has attracted many fans over the years as a global icon of the sport, but now he has the full support of the Vice President.
Next week F1 heads to Austin for the United States Grand Prix as Norris continues his bid to chase down championship leader Max Verstappen in the remaining six rounds.
But will Harris be at the circuit to back Hamilton in his final year as a Mercedes driver?
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