"This is crazy"

“Astronaut” Lewis Hamilton pilots fighter jet

Lewis Hamilton took to the air.(Bild: Instagram.com/lewishamilton)

From Formula 1 driver to astronaut: Lewis Hamilton has undergone a transformation. Only for a short time, of course.

It was a special flight training course that the seven-time F1 champion underwent. One that is usually used by astronauts. Hamilton was given the honor of briefly piloting a fighter jet. And even a seasoned speed junkie seems to be overwhelmed by the experience. "Crazy," shouts Hamilton in the video, which shows him smiling heartily on social media as he glides through the air.

Soaring high continues
So Lewis Hamilton's high flying continues. The Brit also delivered on the ground at the weekend. In Las Vegas, he put in a spectacular race to catch up, which led him to second place. However, there was no real duel with his team-mate, the beaming winner George Russell.

Lewis Hamilton (left) with George Russell and Carlos Sainz on the podium in Las Vegas(Bild: AFP/APA/Patrick T. Fallon)

Ferrari only after the turn of the year
Hamilton will race in Mercedes cars three more times. That's the end of his Silver Arrow career. However, he will not put on his Ferrari overalls until after the turn of the year. Mercedes simply won't release him for the tests after the end of the season. Instead, there are all kinds of Mercedes farewell PR appointments on the program. But they are sure to fly by.