Lewis Hamilton has indicated he will not participate in a promotional event involving LEGO cars at Silverstone ahead of the British Grand Prix, citing concerns that drivers are not being compensated for their involvement. The seven-time world champion expressed his dissatisfaction with the planned "LEGO race," a procession of all 22 drivers in small brick cars on the track 90 minutes before the main race.
Speaking at a press conference, Hamilton described the event as potentially the "most dangerous part of the weekend," despite the LEGO cars being limited to 15 mph. "I'm not going to do it," he stated. Sources suggest that Hamilton's primary objection is the lack of a fee for drivers participating in the high-profile stunt, a sentiment reportedly shared by some of his peers.
Formula One organizers are reportedly confident that Hamilton will ultimately take part in the event. They have been in discussions with Ferrari, emphasizing the importance of their star driver's participation in front of an anticipated record crowd of 175,000 spectators. A similar LEGO car event was held at the Miami Grand Prix last year, where one driver per team participated.
Hamilton, who has won the British Grand Prix a record nine times, was more focused on the upcoming race itself. He mentioned that his engineers have been seeking his input on car setup and expressed optimism about the team's direction. He added that his focus is on executing the race to the best of his ability and drawing energy from the home crowd.