Lewis Hamilton explains bid to buy Chelsea - despite being Arsenal fan!
Hamilton, who is an Arsenal fan, confirmed ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix that he has pledged a reported £10million investment, along with tennis legend Serena Williams, to back Sir Martin Broughton’s bid to buy the Premier League club.
Chelsea was put up for sale by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich in March in the wake of the fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“I’ve been a football fan since I was a kid,” Hamilton said. “I’ve played football from probably the age of four until 17. I was in teams every year, I was in the school team every year through my childhood. Been to numerous games.
“When I was young, around the corner from where I lived, I used to play football with all the kids and a couple of my close friends at the time, I was really wanting to fit in. I was the only kid of colour there.
“The kids all supported someone different. One was Tottenham, one was Man Utd. I remember switching between these teams when I was younger and getting home and my sister Sam punching me several times in the arm, she basically beat me and said I had to support Arsenal.
“So from five or six years old I then became a supporter of Arsenal. But my Uncle Terry is a big blues fan so I’ve been to so many games with him to watch Arsenal and Chelsea play.
“Ultimately I’m a sporting fan. It’s the biggest sport in the world and Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in the world and one of the most successful.
“When I heard about this opportunity I was like ‘wow’, this is one of the greatest opportunities to be part of something so great.”
How did F1 great Hamilton become involved in Chelsea bid?
Hamilton: “Well naturally I heard about it in the news. Everyone is aware about it. We were contacted and Sir Martin took time to speak to me on the phone and explain his and his team’s goals, if they were to win the bid, which was incredibly exciting.
"And it was very much aligned with my values and again, as a kid, I remember collecting all the stickers and books to trade cards. I remember filling all of those up as a kid and collecting all those pennies and trading them for sweets with the other kids for the most valuable ones.
“When I was younger I was trying to be the best player I could be and actually play for a team, so I was trying out for Stevenage Borough when I was younger but then I was in the racing space.
“I could have only ever dreamed of being an actual integral part of a team, so that for me is the most exciting part.”
How is Serena Williams involved?
Hamilton: “We did speak about it. We spoke multiple times, Serena and I are very close so we are constantly in touch. She’s a phenomenal athlete and woman.
“We spoke about it, she asked me what my thoughts were about it and I told her that I’m going to be a part of it and she was excited to join.”
What are Hamilton's plans for Chelsea?
Hamilton: “Firstly, we are trying to acquire a team and move it forwards. This is a team, it’s all about the community. That’s what really makes a football team, it’s the people in and around it.
“They’ve been quite leading in their work in D&I and becoming more diverse and progressive.
“So it’s not that we’re associating ourselves with previous owners, our goals is to continue some of the work that they’ve already done and have even more of an impact and engage more with the community.”
Can Hamilton revamp Chelsea's finances?
Hamilton: “Naturally that’s never the idea of an investment (to lose money). Firstly, to be involved in something as big as this is the excitement first and foremost that comes to mind.
"Of course, it’s a business venture but through the discussions that we’ve had and how the team plan to manage this team moving forwards and improve that and slowly decrease those losses and turn it into a profit-making organisation.
“That’s going to take a lot of work. There’s so many moving parts, naturally, and I don’t have all the strategy for all that. We haven’t yet won the bid, so I’m sure all that will come afterwards.
“But the team, the consortium, it’s a consortium of lifetime Chelsea fans and others who have come to it later like myself. There’s not anyone that’s a part of it that’s with the mindset of losing.
“I think Chelsea already has a winning mindset but I think we can do better moving forwards.”
Would it affect Hamilton’s F1 career?
Hamilton: “Well at the moment my primary focus is continuing in Formula 1 and this isn’t my first business venture or investment. But yeah, it’s something that I’m excited about.
“I would say for sure early on I wouldn’t be able to be as hands on as some of the other people that are a part of it. We haven’t won it yet but if we do, there’s lots of opportunity to be involved more and more over time, which is super exciting and particularly beyond racing, of wanting to help with the success they’ve already had and help it be even more successful.
“The part we are very aligned in and what they’ve already done there is D&I. You see in that sport there is a lot more work that needs to be done to be diverse and more inclusive.
“It’s an amazing platform to bring in and educate a lot of the amazing fans that are out there. And there’s some amazing talent within the team that have already stood up against discrimination and worked very closely with the organisation to move forward.
“I think that’s really important for the fans of Chelsea. The community is heavily invested in that also, so I think that’s important.”
