Formula One Champn Lewis Haton Conversatn w/Gayle Kg at 92Y - NYCPlugged

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• LEWIS HATON: THE F1 SUPERSTAR ON RACISM, HIS FUTURE, AND THE SHOCKER THAT COST HIM A CHAMPNSHIPTHE MAVERICK DRIVER N HANDLE ANYTHG. BUT SPIRS. AND TRAFFIC.BY CHRIS HEATHPHOTOGRAPHY BY ADRIENNE RAQUELSTYLED BY ERIC MCNEALAUGT 8, 2022LEWIS HATON WH A 1989 LAMBHI COUNTACH AT RELATED’S 520 WT 28TH BY ZAHA HADID BUILDG NYC APRIL. CLOTHG BY VERSACE; EARRGS BY GREG YÜNA; NECKLAC BY MIKIMOTO (WHE PEARL) AND XIV KARATS.PHOTOGRAPH BY ADRIENNE RAQUEL; STYLED BY ERIC MCNEAL.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEWHEN LEWIS HATON BEME A FORMULA 1 DRIVER, SUCCS ME QUICKLY, BUT AN EASY SENSE OF BELONGG DID NOT.“I DIDN’T FEEL LIKE I WAS WELE,” HE TELLS ME. “I DIDN’T FEEL LIKE I WAS ACCEPTED. GOD KNOWS HOW MANY OF THE DRIVERS SAY: ‘THIS IS NOT WHAT A FORMULA 1 DRIVER IS. THAT’S NOT HOW YOU BEHAVE. THIS IS NOT HOW YOU DO . TATTOOS? NO! A FORMULA 1 DRIVER DON’T HAVE TATTOOS! A FORMULA 1 DRIVER DON’T HAVE A PERSONALY—AND PIERCGS!’ ”HATON RRIED ON REGARDLS, DOG THGS HIS OWN WAY, AND N’T BE SAID TO HAVE WORKED OUT TOO BADLY. HE IS NOW ONE OF MOST FAMO ATHLET ON EARTH, EVEN MORE SO SCE NETFLIX’S DOCUMENTARY SERI FORMULA 1: DRIVE TO SURVIVE BROUGHT HIS SPORT TO A NEW DIENCE, PARTICULARLY THE U.S. HE HAS WON A RERD-EQUALG SEVEN WORLD CHAMPNSHIPS, AND WHEN TO DRIVG RS LIKE THE AROUND 200 AN HOUR, SOME WOULD ARGUE HE’S THE BT THERE’S EVER BEEN.CLOTHG BY VALENTO; EARRGS BY GREG YÜNA; NECKLAC BY MIKIMOTO (BOTTOM) AND XIV KARATS.PHOTOGRAPH BY ADRIENNE RAQUEL; STYLED BY ERIC MCNEAL.THAT’S NOT TO SAY THAT, EVEN NOW, EVERYTHG IS ALWAYS SMOOTH OR STRAIGHTFORWARD. THERE IS A TATTOO ARCG ACROSS THE TOP OF HATON’S CHT THAT READS POWERFUL BEYOND MEASURE. THE WORDS ARE TAKEN OM A LONGER QUOTE BY THE WRER MARIANNE WILLIAMSON: “OUR EPT FEAR IS NOT THAT WE ARE AQUATE. OUR EPT FEAR IS THAT WE ARE POWERFUL BEYOND MEASURE. IT IS OUR LIGHT, NOT OUR DARKNS, THAT MOST IGHTENS .” “I READ , AND I THOUGHT WAS ONE OF THE GREATT SAYGS EVER,” HATON SAYS. “WE LIM OURSELV THE MAJORY OF THE TIME. AND WHERE REALLY H ME HARD IS: WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO DIM OUR LIGHT ORR TO MAKE OTHERS FEEL….” HE PS, GATHERS HIMSELF. “IF ANYTHG, WE SHOULD SHE AS BRIGHT AS WE N TO LIBERATE OTHERS TO DO THE SAME. I LIVE MY LIFE BY THAT QUOTE. FOR SO LONG MY LIFE, I FELT LIKE I WAS DIMMG MY LIGHT BEE I FELT UNFORTABLE.”GIVEN ALL THAT HE HAS ACHIEVED, MIGHT BE REASONABLE TO IMAGE THAT ANY LGERG TENSNS BETWEEN HIS NEED FOR DIVIDUAL SELF-EXPRSN AND HIS SPORT’S DIKTATS AND NVENTNS WOULD HAVE BEEN IRONED OUT OR DISSIPATED LONG AGO. REASONABLE, BUT QUE WRONG. THIS SEASON, FOR STANCE, A NFLICT HAS BLOWN UP WH HATON OVER HIS JEWELRY. THERE HAS BEEN A LE ON THE BOOKS, TURNS OUT, SCE 2005—A UPLE OF YEARS BEFORE HATON’S FIRST RACE FORMULA 1—FORBIDDG DRIVERS OM WEARG JEWELRY THE RS, FOR SAFETY REASONS. BUT UNTIL NOW, THERE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN NO ATTEMPT TO ENFORCE . HATON, WHO HABUALLY RAC WH TWO EARRGS AND A NOSE PIERCG, WAS RECENTLY TOLD THAT HE MT REMOVE THEM GOG FORWARD. “PEOPLE LOVE TO HAVE POWER,” HE SAYS. “AND TO ENFORCE POWER.”“SCE I WAS A KID—L,” HE SAYS, SHAKG HIS HEAD. “I’VE NEVER LOVED BEG TOLD WHAT TO DO.”I ASK HIM WHETHER THIS FEELS AS THOUGH IS PARTICULARLY DIRECTED TOWARD HIM.“I MEAN, YEAH,” HE REPLI. “BEE I’M THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS JEWELRY ON, REALLY.”AWARE THAT THE ISSUE WAS G TO A HEAD, HATON ATTEND A PRS NFERENCE BEFORE THE MIAMI GRAND PRIX MAY WEARG— AN ACT OF PLAYFUL MOCKERY AND PROTT—RGS ON EVERY FGER, MULTIPLE CHAS, AND THREE WATCH. “I JT PUT ON AS MUCH AS I ULD,” HE SAYS. HE ANNOUNCED THAT, IF NEED BE, HE WOULD REFE TO RACE RATHER THAN REMOVE HIS RACE-DAY JEWELRY, AND ALSO UPPED THE ANTE—AND SENT THE TER BUBBLG—WH THIS MENT: “AS I SAID, I N’T REMOVE AT LEAST TWO OF THEM. ONE, I N’T REALLY EXPLA WHERE IS.”THIS, HATON NOW SISTS, WAS FLIPPANT PROVOTN. “I WAS JT FUCKG WH ,” HE SAYS, LGHG. “I DON’T HAVE ANY OTHER PIERCGS ANYWHERE. BUT I LOVE THAT THERE’S THIS THKG: SH, HAS HE GOT HIS BALLS PIERCED?”IN SUBSEQUENT RAC, HE REMOVED HIS EARRGS, BUT HIS NOSE STUD WAS FED PLACE AND ULD NOT BE REMOVED, THEN RESERTED, AT WILL. WHEN I FIRST SPEAK TO HIM, HE HAS BEEN GRANTED A TEMPORARY EXEMPTN. IF THAT EXPIR, A CISN WILL HAVE TO BE MA, AND HE WOULD CLEARLY PREFER TO STAND FIRM.“SCE I WAS A KID—L,” HE SAYS, SHAKG HIS HEAD. “I’VE NEVER LOVED BEG TOLD WHAT TO DO.”THE FIRST TIME WE MEET, IS FOR LUNCH AT A MOROCN RTRANT, CAFE MOGADOR, MANHATTAN’S EAST VILLAGE, ACROSS TOWN OM AN APARTMENT HE OWNS HERE. HATON ORRS THE HUMM AND FALAFEL. “I ED TO LOOK AT HUMM AND I WAS LIKE, ‘NO WAY WOULD I EVER EAT HUMM!’ ” HE SAYS. “AND I LOVE NOW. IT’S MY GO-TO THG EVERY DAY.” JT ONE TOTEM, WILL BEE CLEAR, OF HIS RELENTLS SEARCH FOR A BETTER WAY.HATON, WHO’S 37, TELLS ME THAT VEGANISM WASN’T EVEN ON HIS RADAR WHEN HE WAS GROWG UP JT NORTH OF LONDON. HE’S NOW BEEN PLANT-BASED FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS, A CHANGE TRIGGERED BY A VEGAN IEND HE MET NEW YORK WHO OPENED HIS EY TO THE REALI OF FOOD PRODUCTN. THE PHYSIL MANDS OF ELE RACG ARE EXTREME, AND DOCTORS ADVISED HIM THAT HE WOULD STGGLE TO GET ENOUGH PROTE. INSTEAD HE FOUND HIS ENERGY LEVELS SMOOTHG OUT AND HIS SK CLEARG UP. “I MEAN, I’VE WON FIVE WORLD TL SCE THEN,” HE POTS OUT. “I’VE BEEN MORE NSISTENT THAN I EVER WAS THE PAST. SO JT TAK PROVG PEOPLE WRONG. AND THAT’S WHAT I DID.”PROVG PEOPLE WRONG HAS BEEN A PERSISTENT THEME HATON’S LIFE. “LOOK, WHEN I WAS AT SCHOOL, I WAS DYSLEXIC AND STGGLG LIKE HELL,” HE SAYS, “AND ONE OF THE ONLY FEW BLACK KIDS MY SCHOOL, BEG PUT THE LOWT CLASS AND NEVER GIVEN A CHANCE TO PROGRS OR EVEN HELPED TO PROGRS. TEACHERS WERE TELLG ME, ‘YOU’RE NEVER GOG TO BE NOTHG.’ I REMEMBER BEG BEHD THE SHED, TEARS, LIKE, ‘I’M NOT GOG TO BE ANYTHG.’ AND BELIEVG FOR A SPL SEND.” EVEN TODAY, HE N STILL LIST THE SPECIFIC TEACHERS WHO RERCED THIS MSAGE. IT WAS, HE SAYS, “THE MOST MOTIVATG THG TO HEAR—PECIALLY WHEN YOU WNS THEM DOG THE PLETE OPPOSE WH YOUR WHE UNTERPARTS.” STILL, HE TALKS ABOUT NOW AS THOUGH THEIR CELTY AND DIFFERENCE BEME A KD OF GIFT: “I DON’T ACTUALLY HOLD ANY GDGE AGAST THOSE PEOPLE, BEE THEY FUELED ME UP.”PHOTOGRAPH BY ADRIENNE RAQUEL; STYLED BY ERIC MCNEAL.COAT BY SAT LRENT BY ANTHONY VACRELLO; SWEATER BY GRG ARMANI; PANTS BY LOUIS VUTON MEN’S; SHO BY GUCCI; SOCKS BY PANTHERELLA; EARRGS BY GREG YÜNA; BROOCH, BANGL, AND RG BY TIFFANY & CO.PHOTOGRAPH BY ADRIENNE RAQUEL; STYLED BY ERIC MCNEAL.HATON’S IMPROBABLE ASCENDANCY BEGAN EVEN AS HE FLOUNRED AT SCHOOL. FROM SIX, HE PROVED HIMSELF A WUNRKD AT GUIDG REMOTE-NTROLLED RS—BEATG ADULTS AND APPEARG ON BRISH TV. AT EIGHT, HE MONSTRATED A SIAR APTU FOR KARTG BEFORE GRADUATG TO PROGRSIVELY MORE POWERFUL RS. BY 12, HIS PARENTS, WHO HAD SPL WHEN HE WAS TWO (HIS MOTHER IS WHE, HIS FATHER BLACK), AGREED THAT HE SHOULD LIVE WH HIS FATHER, WHO ULD BT NURTURE HIS EVINT TALENT. HIS FATHER WORKED THREE OR FOUR JOBS, AND ALL OF THE FAY’S MONEY WENT TO SUPPORTG THE PRODIGY.HATON SAYS THAT OM THE FIRST TIME HE DROVE A GO-KART, HE ULDN’T WA TO DO AGA. “FIRSTLY, ’S LIKE HAVG A SUPERPOWER,” HE SAYS. “I ULDN’T BE SUPERMAN, BUT THAT WAS LIKE YOUR CLOAK. WHEN I GOT THE R, I PUT A HELMET ON, AND I WASN’T SEEN ANY DIFFERENT. YOU N’T SEE MY SK LOR. YOU JT SEE ME AS A DRIVER. AND I WAS ABLE TO DO THGS THAT OTHERS WEREN’T ABLE TO DO. AND DIDN’T MATTER HOW BIG THE OTHER KIDS WERE, I ULD STILL BEAT THEM.”THERE HAD NEVER BEEN A BLACK FORMULA 1 DRIVER, AND THE SPORT’S PARTICIPANTS GENERALLY ME OM FAR MORE PRIVILEGED BACKGROUNDS THAN HIS. BUT WHEN HE WAS 13, HE WAS OFFERED A NTRACT, A PLACE THE DRIVER VELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR A FORMULA 1 TEAM, MCLAREN, WHICH OFFERED A POTENTIAL PATH TO HIS GOAL. THEN, JT AFTER HIS 16TH BIRTHDAY, SOMETHG HAPPENED THAT SEEMED LIKELY TO RAIL ALL.ONE DAY, AN UGLY CINT TOOK PLACE AT LUNCHTIME A SCHOOL BATHROOM. A CLASSMATE OF HATON’S WAS SEVERELY BEATEN BY SIX BOYS. HATON WAS ONE OF MANY DRAWN BY THE MOTN BUT TOOK NO PART. IN THE DAYS THAT FOLLOWED, AS THOSE RPONSIBLE WERE INTIFIED AND PUNISHED, HATON WAS LLED TO THE HEADMASTER’S OFFICE. AS HATON REMEMBERS , THE HEADMASTER TOLD HIM: “I DON’T HAVE THE EVINCE JT YET TO GET RID OF YOU.” “WHAT DO YOU MEAN?” HATON SAYS HE RETORTED. “I DIDN’T DO ANYTHG.” A UPLE OF WEEKS LATER HATON WAS LLED BACK . “FALLY,” THE HEADMASTER CLARED, “I HAVE ENOUGH TO GET RID OF YOU.” HATON WAS SAID TO HAVE KICKED THE JURED BOY. HE WAS EXPELLED, WH IMMEDIATE EFFECT.WALKG HOME, HATON FELT AS THOUGH EVERYTHG MIGHT BE OVER: THE RACG NTRACT, HIS FUTURE, ALL OF . “THE ONE THG I HAD TO DO WAS JT FISH SCHOOL, AND I ULDN’T EVEN DO THAT,” HE SAYS. HE MOMENTARILY NSIRED WHETHER WAS EVEN WORTH FACG HIS FATHER. HOW, HE WONRED, DID ONE FLEE THE UNTRY? “I REMEMBER SHAKG LIKE A LEAF, TELLG MY DAD,” HATON SAYS. “AND HIM ASKG ME: DID I DO ? I REMEMBER TELLG HIM, ‘I DIDN’T DO , DAD. I WOULDN’T DO THAT. IT’S JT NOT PART OF WHO I AM.’ AND HE SAID, ‘OKAY.’ ”HIS FATHER NTACTED OTHER FAI, WHOSE KIDS VERIFIED HATON’S ACUNT, THEN DOGGEDLY FOUGHT FOR HIS SON’S EXONERATN. MONTHS LATER, THE CISN WOULD BE OVERTURNED, THE RERD RRECTED. HATON’S RACG NTRACT WAS UNAFFECTED. BUT HE NEVER WENT BACK TO THE SCHOOL.IN 2020, ON THE FAL LAP OF THE RACE THAT WOULD NFIRM HATON’S PIVOTAL SEVENTH TLE, HE SAYS THAT MUCH OF THIS HISTORY FLASHED BEFORE HIS EY: “JT ALL THE PAST EXPERIENC, ALL THE DOUBTS THAT I HAD TO OVERE. IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST EMOTNAL EXPERIENC OF MY LIFE. THAT’S WHY I SAID, ‘THIS IS TO ALL THOSE KIDS OUT THERE…’ ” OVER THE HEADSET, AS HE SLOWED DOWN AFTER THE FISH LE, VIEWERS ULD HEAR HIS VOICE BREAKG UP WH EMOTN. HIS EXACT WORDS: THAT’S FOR ALL THE KIDS OUT THERE WHO DREAM THE IMPOSSIBLE.“I WOULD JT ALWAYS HAVE, THE BACK OF MY MD, PEOPLE TELLG ME THAT ‘YOU’RE NEVER GOG TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THAT.... THERE’S NO WAY YOU’RE GOG TO DO THIS,’ ” HE SAYS.SWEATER BY FENDI MEN’S; EARRGS BY DAVID YURMAN; RG BY CHROME HEARTS.PHOTOGRAPH BY ADRIENNE RAQUEL; STYLED BY ERIC MCNEAL.IN THE TOBGRAPHY LEWIS HATON: MY STORY, PUBLISHED 2007 AFTER HIS FIRST YEAR FORMULA 1, HATON CLARED, “FOR ME, RACE IS NOT AN ISSUE AT ALL.” THIS, HE NOW SAYS, WAS THE STANCE HE WAS ENURAGED TO TAKE.“THOSE EARLY YEARS, WE WERE JT ALWAYS TRYG TO F ,” HE SAYS. “MY DAD’S JT: DON’T TALK ABOUT THAT, JT BLEND .”HIS PERSPECTIVE EVOLVED OVER TIME, BUT THE GREATT CHANGE ME RPONSE TO THE RACIAL UPHEAVALS THE SPRG AND SUMMER OF 2020. PARTLY, WAS THAT HATON FELT PELLED, ON PRCIPLE, TO SPEAK OUT AND TAKE A STAND. “I’VE ALWAYS WONRED: WHY ME? WHY AM I THE ONLY? OUT OF ALL THE KIDS THE SCHOOL, OR ALL THE OTHER YOUNG BLACK KIDS BLACK MUNI, HOW IS THAT STUMBLED ACROSS AND GOT TO ? AND NOT ONLY GOT THERE, BUT WHY AM I AS GOOD AS I AM? WHY AM I WIRED THE WAY I AM? AND I FEEL LIKE THERE’S A MUCH BIGGER PICTURE.”BUT WHAT WAS HAPPENG OUT THE WORLD HAD ALSO UNEXPECTEDLY REAWAKENED SOME MEMORI.“THERE’S A LOT OF FEELGS THAT I SUPPRSED AT THE TIME THAT I DIDN’T EVEN REALIZE THAT I SUPPRSED—EMOTNS AND FEELGS THAT I HAD WHEN I WAS YOUNGER—AND ALL ME UP,” HE SAYS. THE SUAL RACIST ABE HE WOULD FACE, FOR STANCE, HIS GO-KARTG DAYS, PARTICULARLY WHEN HE’D TRAVEL TO ITALY AND FRANCE. “THERE WAS A LOT OF THE N-WORD GOG AROUND,” HE SAYS. OTHER TIM, WAS MORE THAN WORDS. ONE DAY WHEN HE WAS 11 OR 12, HATON WAS WALKG TO THE SHOPS NEWSTLE WHERE HIS MOTHER AND STEPFATHER THEN LIVED. HE WAS DAYDREAMG, SGG UNR HIS BREATH, THKG ABOUT THE MR. KIPLG CHOLATE K HE WANTED TO BUY. HE DIDN’T EVEN REALLY NOTICE THE TWO OF THEM—A FATHER AND SON—UNTIL THEY ATTACKED. IN A BLK, THEY HAD HIM ON THE GROUND AND WERE KICKG HIM, SHOUTG “GO BACK TO YOUR UNTRY.”“EVEN TODAY,” HE SAYS, “I REMEMBER HOW TERRIFYG WAS. I REALLY, REALLY ULDN’T UNRSTAND . IT WAS LIKE, ‘ARE THEY TALKG TO ME? I’M OM HERE. WHAT DO THEY MEAN?’ I ULD NEVER UNRSTAND . WHEN YOU’RE BEG ATTACKED, THERE’S THIS FEAR—THERE’S FEAR, AND THERE’S ANGER AS WELL BEE YOU WANT TO GET THEM BACK FOR THE PA THAT THEY’RE G YOU.”MOMENTS LIKE THIS HE KEPT TO HIMSELF. “I NEVER SPOKE ABOUT TO MY PARENTS,” HE SAYS. “I DIDN’T SPEAK ABOUT TO MY MUM—I DIDN’T THK SHE’D UNRSTAND. AND MY DAD, I WAS PROBABLY TOO SRED TO TELL MY DAD, BEE I DIDN’T WANT HIM TO THK I WAS A WS. YOU KNOW, I DIDN’T WANT HIM TO THK I ULDN’T FEND MYSELF. I JT REMEMBER A LOT OF TIM JT BEG ALONE, JT TEARS MY ROOM.”IN 2020, HATON LED HIS SPORT’S REACTN TO THE TROUBLED TIM—FOR STANCE, SUCCSFULLY ENURAGG MOST OF HIS FELLOW DRIVERS TO TAKE A KNEE, PERSUADG HIS TEAM TO REBRAND S RS A NEW BLACK PAT JOB, AND ACCEPTG HIS WNER’S TROPHY AT A GRAND PRIX ITALY SEPTEMBER 2020 WEARG A T-SHIRT EMBLAZONED WH THE WORDS: ARREST THE COPS WHO KILLED BREONNA TAYLOR. AS HE NOTED LATER, MAYBE A LTLE TARTLY, “IN THE 70 YEARS OF OUR SPORT, NO ONE’S EVER STOOD UP THERE FOR ANYTHG BUT THEMSELV.” PERHAPS PREDICTABLY, A LG WAS SUBSEQUENTLY ISSUED THAT DRIVERS ON THE PODIUM MT ONLY DISPLAY TEAM ATTIRE.HATON HAS NTUED TO TAKE MORE NCRETE STEPS. A REARCH GROUP HE SET UP, THE HATON COMMISSN, ISSUED A REPORT EXAMG TAIL THE STCTURAL REASONS FOR BLACK UNRREPRENTATN ALL PARTS OF U.K. MOTORSPORT AND INTIFYG POTENTIAL REMEDI. IN S WAKE, HE LNCHED A FOUNDATN, MISSN 44, THE MISSN QUTN BEG “TO SUPPORT, CHAMPN, AND EMPOWER YOUNG PEOPLE OM UNRSERVED GROUPS TO SUCCEED THROUGH NARROWG OPPORTUNY GAPS TN, EMPLOYMENT, AND WIR SOCIETY.” IN NVERSATN, THE ARE THEM HE REFERS TO NSTANTLY.EARRGS BY JAB & CO.; NECKLAC BY MIKIMOTO (WHE PEARL, BOTH); BRACELET BY CARTIER; RGS BY CHROME HEARTS.PHOTOGRAPH BY ADRIENNE RAQUEL; STYLED BY ERIC MCNEAL.NO NEED TO LOOK TOO FAR FOR OTHER CLU TO HATON’S EVENTUAL POST-RACG LIFE, GIVEN HOW MANY OTHER THGS HE HAS MANAGED TO DO ALONGSI DRIVG—WHICH IS ANOTHER WAY HE HAS FIED THE ORTHODOXY OF HIS SPORT. WHEN HE AGREED TO JO HIS CURRENT TEAM, MERCES, 2013, HATON SAYS THAT HE TOLD THEM HOW WOULD BE: “THIS IS WHO I AM. THE ARE THGS I LIKE TO DO. DON’T EVER TRY TO NTROL ME THAT RPECT. I’M GOG TO GIVE EVERYTHG TO THIS, AND I’M GOG TO HELP YOU W CHAMPNSHIPS. AND I’M GOG TO SHOW YOU THAT BEG DIFFERENT IS NOT A BAD THG FOR YOUR BRAND.”CONVENTNAL WISDOM WAS THAT DRIVERS SHOULD BE EARLY TO BED DURG RACG SEASON AND SHY OM ALL OTHER DISTRACTNS. HATON’S CHOSEN WAY WAS DIFFERENT. EYEBROWS WERE RAISED, FOR STANCE, WHEN HE WAS PART OF A TOMMY HILFIGER FASHN SHOW NEW YORK, FOLLOWED BY A BIG PARTY—“THE BT PARTY OF FASHN WEEK,” HE NOT—THEN FLEW TO SGAPORE FOR HIS NEXT RACE. HE KNEW WOULD BE SEEN AS A TT: “IF I’M GOG TO BE DOG THE OTHER THGS, I’VE ALSO GOT TO SHOW UP AND DO , AND BE THE SH. AND I DID THE BT LAP I’D EVER PUT TOGETHER. AND PEOPLE WERE LIKE ‘HOW THE FUCK DO HE DO ?’ ”HATON’S TERT FASHN IS AN ENDURG ONE, BOTH CREATG CLOTH FOR OTHERS AND AS PERSONAL STYLE, THE LATTER CLOSELY FOLLOWED BY HIS FANS. THE REASON I N TELL YOU PRECISELY WHAT HE WORE WHEN WE MET NEW YORK—NAHMIAS MIRACLE AMY TCKER HAT, LOUIS VUTON PRTED FLOWER DROP SHOULRS T-SHIRT, STORIA SUNGLASS, AMI PARIS ALEX STRAIGHT-LEG JEANS, OFF WHE VULNIZED HIGH-TOP SNEAKERS—IS NEHER BEE I REGNIZE THEM NOR BEE HATON EMIZ THEM FOR ME. IT IS BEE ANY TIME THERE IS A PUBLIC PHOTOGRAPHIC RERD—HE HAD POSTED AN INSTAGRAM STORY OF HIMSELF THAT MORNG REFLECTED HIS BUILDG’S ELEVATOR MIRRORS—ALYT IMMEDIATELY NSTCT AND ANALYZE THE DAY’S OUTF. BEGNG 2018, HATON SIGNED A HANDFUL OF LLECTNS PARTNERSHIP WH HILFIGER.“I SAW AS A B OF AN TERNSHIP,” HE SAYS. RECENTLY, AS WELL AS LOOKG TO HELP “YOUNG BLACK CREATIV G UP THAT ARE OVERLOOKED, PARTICULARLY THE FASHN SPACE,” HE’S BEEN NSIRG HIS OWN BRAND AND TALKS ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IS TO HIM THAT BE FULLY STAABLE. “THERE’S NOT MANY BIG BLACK-OWNED BRANDS OUT THERE,” HE SAYS. “AND WHY NOT?”“I THK HE’S AN ARTIST,” SAYS TOM BRADY. “I THK HE PROBABLY SE L ON THE TRACK NO ONE ELSE N SEE.”HATON’S BS TERTS EXTEND MULTIPLE DIRECTNS; NVERSATN WH HIM IS PUNCTUATED WH STATEMENTS LIKE “I’M GROWG TO A SPACE OF BEG AN ENTREPRENR, REALLY LOOKG TO PLA-IENDLY START-UPS.” A VEGAN RTRANT LONDON, NEAT BURGER, IS NOW EXPANDG TO THE U.S. WH LEONARDO DICAPR RECENTLY G ON BOARD AS A PARTNER. AND THERE IS ALSO HOLLYWOOD. HATON IS ONE OF THE PRODUCERS OF A FORMULA 1 MOVIE TO BE DIRECTED BY TOP GUN: MAVERICK DIRECTOR JOSEPH KOSSKI AND PRODUCED BY (AND FEATURG) BRAD PT. HATON HAS MET WH PT AND ARRANGED FOR HIM TO TOUR THE FACTORI BRA WHERE 2,000 PEOPLE ARE UNED THE SOLE TASK OF CREATG THIS YEAR’S FORMULA 1 R FOR MERCES. HATON HAS ALSO BEEN VETTG THE STORYTELLG FOR THENTICY: “TO HEAR THE B.S. THAT’S THE SCRIPT BEE THE AMERINS THAT ARE WRG ARE JT GETTG NEWLY ACCTOMED TO FORMULA 1.”HATON DON’T EXPECT TO ACT ALONGSI PT THIS FILM—HE FEELS MIGHT BE TOO CLICHéD FOR HIM TO APPEAR A RACG MOVIE—BUT HE HAS DIPPED HIS TO PREVLY, DOG A MEO ZOOLANR 2 AND LENDG HIS VOICE CARS 2 AND CARS 3. AND, TURNS OUT, HE NEARLY TOOK ON SOMETHG MUCH MORE SUBSTANTIAL A WHILE BACK. “BASILLY I’M A IEND OF TOM,” HATON SAYS. “CISE,” HE ADDS. (IN PERSON, HATON IS LOW-KEY AND UNSHOWY, AND I MEET A GROUP OF IENDS AROUND HIM WHO SEEM VERY DOWN-TO-EARTH, BUT ’S ALSO EVINT HOW FORTABLY HE NS WH THE FAMO.) “ONE OF THE NICT PEOPLE YOU’LL EVER MEET,” HATON SAYS OF CISE. “HE VED ME TO HIS SET YEARS AGO WHEN HE WAS DOG EDGE OF TOMORROW, AND THEN WE JT BUILT A IENDSHIP OVER TIME.” AS A CHILD, HATON SAW THE ORIGAL TOP GUN AND FIXATED ON BEG A FIGHTER PILOT. “SO WHEN I HEARD THE SEND ONE WAS G OUT, I WAS LIKE, ‘OH, MY GOD, I HAVE TO ASK HIM,’ ” HE SAYS. “I SAID, ‘I DON’T RE WHAT ROLE IS. I’LL EVEN SWEEP SOMETHG, BE A CLEANER THE BACK.’ ” CISE SAID Y. AND HATON WAS NOT TO BE A CLEANER; HE WAS TO BE ONE OF THE FIGHTER PILOTS. THEN REALY SET . FILMG WOULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE DURG THE CLIMAX OF THE FORMULA 1 SEASON, AND HATON KNEW HE ULDN’T UNTENANCE TURNG UP ON SET WHOUT HAVG DONE EVERY LAST PIECE OF PREPARATN. “I’M A PERFECTNIST,” HE SAYS. THERE JT WASN’T TIME. RELUCTANTLY, HE NTACTED CISE AND KOSSKI—“THE MOST UPSETTG LL THAT I THK I’VE EVER HAD”—TO LET THEM KNOW.FALLY, THERE IS MIC. “I LOVE MIC SO MUCH,” HE SAYS. “I WOULD SAY MIC SAV ME EVERY SGLE DAY.” FOR YEARS, HATON HAS BEEN WRG AND RERDG HIS OWN, AND HAS PERDILLY TIMATED THAT HE MIGHT SOON SHARE PUBLICLY. ASI OM THE OCSNAL INSTAGRAM SNIPPET AND ONE OTHER ALMOST ACCINTAL EXCEPTN, HE HAS YET TO DO SO. THE ALMOST ACCINTAL EXCEPTN WAS HIS GUT APPEARANCE ON CHRISTA AGUILERA’S 2018 ALBUM LIBERATN. HATON RENTED A STUD NEW YORK AND WROTE AND RERD HIS NTRIBUTN TO THE LIBIDAL SONG “PIPE” THREE HOURS. NO ONE WAS SUPPOSED TO KNOW WAS HIM; HE WANTED PEOPLE TO HEAR WHOUT PREJUDGMENT: “PEOPLE SAY: ‘LEWIS HATON’S DOG MIC? OH, I’M SURE THAT’S GOG TO SUCK.’ IT’S ONLY WHEN THEY HEAR STUFF THAT I DO, THEN THEY’RE LIKE, ‘OH, YOU’RE ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD.’ ” BUT ALTHOUGH HE WAS CREDED AS XNDA, HIS REAL NAME WAS ADVERTENTLY CLUD THE SONGWRG CREDS. HE WOULDN’T NFIRM THAT WAS HIM FOR SOME TIME, BUT THE SECRET WAS PRETTY MUCH OUT.CLOTHG BY FENDI MEN’S; EARRGS BY DAVID YURMAN; RGS BY CHROME HEARTS.PHOTOGRAPH BY ADRIENNE RAQUEL; STYLED BY ERIC MCNEAL.CLOTHG AND BOOTS BY FEAR OF GOD; NECKLACE BY MIKIMOTO (WHE PEARL).PHOTOGRAPH BY ADRIENNE RAQUEL; STYLED BY ERIC MCNEAL.TO GET A TE SENSE OF WHO LEWIS HATON IS 2022, YOU NEED TO UNRSTAND SOMETHG THAT HAPPENED TO HIM ABU DHABI ON DECEMBER 12, 2021.BEFORE THIS FAL RACE OF THE FORMULA 1 SEASON, HATON AND THE MUCH YOUNGER DUTCH FIREBRAND MAX VERSTAPPEN WERE TIED ON POTS. WHOEVER FISHED AHEAD OF THE OTHER ABU DHABI WOULD BEE CHAMPN—AND IF WAS HATON, HE WOULD BE THE FIRST MAN HISTORY TO W EIGHT WORLD CHAMPNSHIPS. WH FIVE LAPS TO GO, HATON WAS LEADG VERSTAPPEN BY 11 SENDS. BARRG A RANDOM PUNCTURE OR A SUDN ENGE FAILURE, WAS HARD TO IMAGE WHAT ULD GO WRONG. AND HARD TO BELIEVE AS DID.“YOU SEE THGS START TO UNFOLD,” HE SAYS, REMEMBERG, “AND MY WORST FEARS ME ALIVE. I WAS LIKE, THERE’S NO WAY THEY’RE GOG TO CHEAT ME OUT OF THIS. THERE’S NO WAY. THAT WON’T HAPPEN. SURELY NOT.”TO EXPLA TAIL THE SUBSEQUENT SERI OF EVENTS, IALLY TRIGGERED BY ANOTHER R’S ACCINT, WOULD BE BAFFLG TO ANYONE NOT STEEPED THE WORLD OF SAFETY RS, P STOPS, DIFFERENTIAL TIRE WEAR, AND UNLAPPG PROCR. BUT THE CCIAL PART IS THIS: TO ANYONE WHO UNRSTOOD F1 L AND PROTOLS, HATON NOW SEEMED STED TO W A RATHER ANTICLIMACTIC CEREMONIAL PROCSN. BUT THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN. INSTEAD, THE RACE DIRECTOR APPEARED TO IMPROVISE A LG UNR THE TENSE PRSURE OF THE MOMENT, ONE WHOUT PRECENT, WHICH ALLOWED FOR ONE FAL LAP OF SUPERFICIALLY PETIVE RACG. IT WAS A LAP HATON WOULD HAVE NO REALISTIC PROSPECT OF WNG BEE VERSTAPPEN, NOW RIGHT BEHD HIM WH H TIR, ULD EASILY OVERTAKE HIM. THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. AFTER AN QUIRY WEEKS LATER, THE RACE DIRECTOR TRANSFERRED OM HIS POST—THE OFFICIAL REPORT STATED THAT WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS HUMAN ERROR MA GOOD FAH, BUT THE L WERE CLARIFIED AND UPDATED TO ENSURE THIS WOULDN’T HAPPEN AGA. THE RULT STOOD.I ASK HATON HOW HE FELT AS HE GOT OUT OF THE R.“I DON’T KNOW IF I N REALLY PUT TO WORDS THE FEELG THAT I HAD,” HE REPLI. “I DO REMEMBER JT STG THERE JT DISBELIEF. AND REALIZG I’VE GOT TO UNDO MY BELTS, I’VE GOT TO GET OUT OF THERE, I’VE GOT TO CLIMB OUT OF THIS THG, I’VE GOT TO FD THE STRENGTH. I HAD NO STRENGTH. AND WAS ONE OF THE TOUGHT MOMENTS, I WOULD SAY, THAT I’VE HAD A LONG, LONG TIME.”I SUGGT TO HIM THAT HE MT HAVE FELT CHEATED.“I KNEW WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I KNEW WHAT CISNS HAD BEEN MA AND WHY. Y, I KNEW THAT SOMETHG WASN’T RIGHT.”WHEN HE DID GET OUT OF THE R, HIS FATHER WAS STANDG THERE. SUCH IS THE BUBBLE OF PREPARATN AND FOC BEFORE RAC THAT HATON DIDN’T EVEN KNOW WHETHER HIS FATHER WAS ABU DHABI. OVER THE YEARS, THEIR RELATNSHIP HAS HAD S DIFFICULT MOMENTS: HATON NEVER FAILS TO CRED EVERYTHG HIS FATHER DID TO MAKE HIS REER POSSIBLE, BUT THERE WAS AN AWKWARD SCHISM AFTER HIS FIRST BURST OF FORMULA 1 SUCCS WHEN HATON CID THAT HE NEED TO GO ALONE PROFSNALLY, AND TOLD HIS FATHER THAT HE JT WANTED HIM TO BE HIS FATHER. IT HAD TAKEN TIME, BUT THAT DAY ABU DHABI, THAT’S WHO HIS FATHER WAS.“HE EMBRACED ME, AND I THK HE WAS LIKE, ‘I WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW PROUD I AM OF YOU.’ HAVG YOUR FATHER EMBRACE YOU THAT WAY IS ONE OF THE MOST PROFOUND THGS I’VE EVER…” HATON TRAILS OFF. “ESPECIALLY AS YOU’VE GROWN UP NOT MANY TIM HAVG THAT.”HATON’S CLOSE IEND MELLODY HOBSON WAS ALSO ABU DHABI THAT DAY. HOBSON IS A HUGELY SUCCSFUL BS LEAR, THE CURRENT CHAIRWOMAN OF STARBUCKS AND SOON-TO-BE PART OWNER OF THE DENVER BRONS. SHE FIRST MET HATON WHEN HER MOTOR-RACG ENTHIAST HBAND-TO-BE, GEE LUS, TOOK HER TO THE MONA GRAND PRIX 2007, TELLG HER HOW “A ROOKIE BLACK DRIVER HAD JT BROKEN TO THE TOP RANKS FOR THE FIRST TIME THE SPORT’S 70-YEAR HISTORY.” HATON NSIRS HOBSON A BIG SISTER, A MENTOR, AND, GENERALLY, “ONE OF THE MOST SPIRG WOMEN I’VE EVER MET MY LIFE.” PART OF WHAT THEY SHARE IS THE EXPERIENCE OF WHAT HE SCRIB AS BEG “THE FIRST AND ONLY ONE” TO ACHIEVE WHAT THEY’VE ACHIEVED.“WE’VE BOND OVER THAT,” HOBSON AGRE. “I REMEMBER HE GAVE THIS TERVIEW WH GAYLE KG ON THE CBS MORNG SHOW A UPLE OF YEARS AGO, AND HE SAID, ‘BEG THE FIRST AND ONLY BLACK ANYTHG IS A PROUD AND LONELY WALK.’ AND I LERALLY STOPPED. I HAD CHILLS AND SORT OF WELLED UP. I KNEW EXACTLY: PROUD AND LONELY…. IT’S HOW FEELS.”HOBSON HAD NOT TOLD HATON THAT SHE AND HER HBAND WERE G TO ABU DHABI, AND THEY WERE REFULLY KEPT OUT OF HIS SIGHT THE WHOLE WEEKEND. “GEE KEPT SAYG TO ME,” HOBSON EXPLAS, “ ‘THERE’S NOTHG WORSE THAN WHEN YOU’RE THE LAST DAYS OF YOUR MOVIE AND YOU’RE TOTALLY BEHD AND YOUR FAY SHOWS UP—’S THE WORST.’ ” BUT AFTER WHAT HOBSON CHARACTERIZ AS “THE HORRIBLE ACT,” SHE AND LUS SAW HIM. “HE’S REALLY STUNNED,” SHE REMEMBERS. “STUNNED. LIKE SHOCK. HE’S ASKG THE SAME QUTN OVER AND OVER AGA: ‘WHAT HAPPENED?’ I GRABBED HIM BY BOTH SHOULRS. I WAS LIKE, ‘YOU DID EVERYTHG RIGHT.’ I KEPT SAYG THAT TO HIM. I SAID, ‘IT WASN’T YOU. YOU DID EVERYTHG RIGHT.’ AND HE JT LERALLY SAID, LIKE FOUR OR FIVE TIM: ‘WHAT HAPPENED?’ ”HATON APOLOGIZED FOR HER G ALL THAT WAY JT TO SEE HIM LOSE. “THAT’S WHY WE ME,” SHE TOLD HIM. “IN SE YOU LOST. WE DIDN’T E SE YOU WON.”“I REMEMBER STG THERE DISBELIEF. AND REALIZG I’VE GOT TO UNDO MY BELTS, I’VE GOT TO CLIMB OUT OF THIS THG. I’VE GOT TO FD THE STRENGTH. IT WAS ONE OF THE TOUGHT MOMENTS THAT I’VE HAD A LONG, LONG TIME.”IT WOULD HAVE BEEN UNRSTANDABLE—EXPECTED, ALMOST—IF, WHEN HATON GOT OUT OF HIS R ABU DHABI HE HAD BEEN RAGG, SHOUTG, CLAIMG THE UNFAIRNS OF ALL. “LIKE, NO ONE WOULD HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF HE HAD TAKEN OFF HIS HELMET AND THROWN ,” SAYS HOBSON. “OR THROWN THE STEERG WHEEL.”BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT HATON DID. AS HIS IEND TOM BRADY, WHO WAS STANDG ONT OF HIS TV, WATCHG WHAT HE LLS “JT THE CRAZIT OF ALL CRAZY ENDGS,” OBSERV, “HE HANDLED AS GRACEFULLY AS ANYONE POSSIBLY ULD IMAGE.” THERE WOULD BE NO PUBLIC VENTG OF ANY KD. INSTEAD, HATON WALKED OVER TO THE CLARED VICTOR, VERSTAPPEN, SHOOK HIS HAND, AND NGRATULATED HIM. WATCHG THIS, LUS—A MAN WHO HAS A FAIRLY NOTABLE HISTORY WHEN TO THE SUBJECT HE WAS ABOUT TO SPEAK OF—LEANED OVER TO HOBSON AND SAID: “HERO ARE BIGGER THAN CHAMPNS. LEWIS JT EARNED HERO STAT.”HATON LEARNED ABOUT THIS MENT SOON AFTER, BUT FOR A LONG WHILE HE ULDN’T REALLY HEAR . “LOOK, I WAS GOG THROUGH WHATEVER EMOTNS I WAS GOG THROUGH, SO NO ONE ULD SAY ANYTHG TO ME,” HE REMEMBERS. “IT DON’T MATTER WHO. IT DON’T REALLY MATTER WHAT IS SAID. WHEN YOU’RE FEELG A CERTA WAY, SOMETIM ’S HARD TO BREAK THROUGH.” BUT, TIME, HE TOOK . “IT’S ONE OF THE GREATT PLIMENTS YOU ULD RECEIVE,” HE SAYS. ALSO: “IT IS VERY, VERY SURREAL TO GROW UP WATCHG STAR WARS AND HAVE YODA’S DAD SAY POSIVE THGS ABOUT YOU.”CTOM TUXEDO BY GRG ARMANI MA TO MEASURE; SHIRT AND TIE BY GRG ARMANI; EARRGS BY GREG YÜNA.PHOTOGRAPH BY ADRIENNE RAQUEL; STYLED BY ERIC MCNEAL.HATON WAS PUBLICLY SILENT FOR SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER ABU DHABI, AND THERE WAS WISPREAD SPECULATN THAT HE WAS DONE WH RACG—THAT HE WOULD WALK AWAY. “I, FOR SURE, NSIRED WHETHER I WANTED TO NTUE,” HE NFIRMS. “HE WAS A DARK PLACE,” SAYS HOBSON, EXPLAG HOW SHE HAD ASKED HIM TO JO HER AND LUS FOR CHRISTMAS THE CARIBBEAN. WHEN HATON MURRED, SHE TOLD HIM THAT IF HE DIDN’T E, SHE WOULD GO TO HIM; THE END, HE ME. EVERYONE THERE WAS STCTED NOT TO BRG UP WHAT HAD HAPPENED, BUT MANY MORNGS HE AND HOBSON FOUND THE OTHER AWAKE AT DAWN. “AND THAT’S WHEN WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME SORT OF GOG AND BRIEFG,” SHE SAYS. “AND I JT KEPT TELLG HIM THGS LIKE: WE MAKE NO CISNS TIM OF GREAT ANGUISH OR PA. YOU HAVE TO JT S WH THIS, AND ’S GOG TO BE HARD AND UNFORTABLE. BUT THERE’S NOTHG TO BE DONE AT THIS MOMENT. SO DO NOTHG.”HOBSON TOLD HIM THAT SHE WOULD SUPPORT HIM IF HE DIDN’T GO BACK BUT ALSO SHARED HER BELIEF THAT “THIS IS WHAT YOU DO, AND YOU’RE NOT DONE.” THE OLYMPIC FENCER MIL CHAMLEY-WATSON, ONE OF HATON’S CLOST IENDS SCE THEY FIRST HUNG OUT A FEW YEARS AGO AT THE MET GALA—“HE WAS SAT BETWEEN MADONNA AND RIHANNA,” HATON SAYS, “AND I REMEMBER LOOKG AT HIM: ‘WHO IS THAT?’ ”—WAS ANOTHER OF THOSE WHO GATHERED AROUND HIM AFTER ABU DHABI. “I KNEW THAT HE NEED ME JT AS HIS MATE TO JT GET HIM OUT OF THE MDSET,” CHAMLEY-WATSON SAYS, ADDG THAT HE NEVER DOUBTED WHAT HATON WOULD DO. “IF YOU KNOW HIM, YOU KNOW THAT MAN IS NOT GOG TO STOP UNTIL HE WANTS TO FISH. NOT BEE SOMEBODY ELSE MA HIM STOP.”A WEEK AFTER OUR NEW YORK LUNCH, HATON AND I ARE SUPPOSED TO MEET AT WHAT I’VE BEEN TOLD IS ONE OF HIS FAVORE RTRANTS, THE FRENCH VILLAGE OF ÈZE, NOT TOO FAR OM HIS MONA HOME. BUT ARRANGEMENTS SOMEHOW GO AWRY. “I’VE NEVER BEEN HERE BEFORE,” HE SAYS AS WE ARE LED TO A TABLE AT A TERRACE WHERE THE EXPANSIVE VIEWS OVER THE MEDERRANEAN ARE BREATHTAKG, BUT WHERE HE IS ALSO SURROUND BY UNKNOWN OTHERS FAIRLY CLOSE PROXIMY. WHEN YOU ARE AS FAMO AS HATON IS MOST OF THE WORLD, YOU LEARN TO AVOID THE SUATNS. “THIS IS MORE EXPOSED THAN I NORMALLY AM,” HE NOT. “WE’LL SEE HOW GO.” AS WE TALK, HIS VOICE IS OFTEN SO QUIET THAT MY RERR N BARELY PICK UP, AS THOUGH HE FEELS NSTRAED BY THE SURROUNDGS. WHEN HE ORRS A LATTE WH OAT K, THE WAER, SEEMGLY BAFFLED BY HIS PRENCE, ASKS HIM THE AWKWARD AND FAIRLY UNANSWERABLE QUTN: “IS THAT THE REAL YOU?”WE TALK A LTLE ABOUT HATON’S LIFE. IN THE FIRST HALF OF HIS FORMULA 1 REER, HE WAS A RELATNSHIP WH EX–PSYT DOLLS SGER NILE SCHERZGER FOR SEVERAL YEARS, THEIR EVERY PERCEIVED UP AND DOWN RELENTLSLY TRACKED BY THE BRISH TABLOID MEDIA. WHATEVER PRIVATE LIFE HE HAS HAD SCE THEN, HE HAS MOSTLY KEPT TO HIMSELF. “I LEARNED THE HARD WAY,” HE SAYS. “I LEARNED THE HARD WAY.” BUT THEN HE ALSO TELLS ME—“I HAVEN’T TALKED ABOUT MUCH”—THAT THERE HAVEN’T BEEN ANY LONG RELATNSHIPS RECENT YEARS. “I’M REALLY JT SUPER FOCED ON WORK,” HE SAYS. “I’VE REALIZED THAT I N’T DO TWO THGS OR THREE THGS AT ONCE, I’VE GOT TO FOC ON ONE.” FURTHERMORE, HE ADDS, “I REALLY WANTED TO GO THROUGH A GROWTH PROCS OF GETTG MYSELF TO A POT WHERE I’M HAPPY ON MY OWN, FORTABLE MY SPACE. SO THAT IF I EVER DO MEET SOMEONE, ’S AN ADDN, RATHER THAN ‘I NEED YOU MY LIFE.’ ”AS WH MOST LIV LIVED UNR SUCH CLOSE SCTY, HATON’S THERE HAVE BEEN OCSNAL WRKL. HE HAS LONG HAD A STURDY SOCIAL MEDIA MUNN—HIS PRENT INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERSHIP IS MORE THAN 29 LN—BUT NOT EVERYTHG HAS ALWAYS LAND AS HE’D HOPED MIGHT. WE DISCS ONE PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT MOMENT. ON CHRISTMAS DAY 2017, HE POSTED TO THE WORLD WHAT WAS PRUMABLY TEND AS A CUTE AND AMG 12-SEND VIO WHICH HE SS WH HIS NEPHEW, WHO’S WEARG A PURPLE-AND-PK DRS AND BRANDISHG A WAND WH A FLUFFY PK HEART AT S END. “WHY ARE YOU WEARG A PRCS DRS?” HATON ASKS THE BOY, WHO IS LGHG. “IS THIS WHAT YOU GOT FOR CHRISTMAS? WHY DID YOU ASK FOR A PRCS DRS FOR CHRISTMAS? BOYS DON’T WEAR PRCS DRS!”THE WORLD’S RPONSE WAS SWIFT. HATON WAS NMNED FOR GENR SHAMG AND OTHER SENSIVI. A TYPIL FORCEFUL RIPOSTE: “GO STICK YOUR TOXIC MASCULY UP YOUR ARSE.”“THAT WAS SO STUPID,” HE TELLS ME OF WHAT HE DID. “I REALIZED THAT A LOT OF MY UPBRGG WAS G OUT. I WENT WH JT AN IGNORANT MOMENT. AND I STRAIGHTAWAY REALIZED THAT THAT’S NOT ACTUALLY HOW I FEEL EP SI.” BY THE NEXT DAY, HE HAD LETED THE POST; BY THE END OF THE WEEK HE HAD LETED HIS ENTIRE INSTAGRAM HISTORY. “I’M JT NOT THE KD OF PERSON THAT WANTS TO EVER HURT ANYBODY,” HE SAYS. “AND THE IA THAT I ULD HAVE HURT SOMEBODY THROUGH A STUPID POST OR JT OM SOMETHG I SAID, AGA THROUGH IGNORANCE, JT REMD ME OF HOW I HAD FELT OM THE EXPERIENC THAT I HAD HAD. AND I WAS LIKE, HOW AM I PROJECTG THAT? I REALIZED THAT WAS WRONG. AND SO THEN FDG WAYS OF NOT NECSARILY UNDOG , BUT SHOWG THAT MUNY THAT I SUPPORT THEM. IT’S DIFFICULT TODAY’S WORLD. IT’S DIFFICULT TO UNDO THGS.”HATON IS FOND OF ADAG LIKE “IT’S NOT HOW YOU FALL, ’S HOW YOU GET BACK UP,” AND HE SEEMS TO E THEM LS AS GLIB TCHPHRAS TO BRANDISH WHEN NVENIENT AND MORE AS SER GUIS TO BETTER LIVG. IN THIS STANCE, HE APOLOGIZED, FULLY AND CLEARLY, FOR THE MISTAKE HE HAD MA AND THE HURT HE HAD ED. PRIVATELY, HE TOOK UPON HIMSELF TO TE HIMSELF. HE POSED A KILT ON THE VER OF BRISH GQ AND, SI, GAVE A SELF-LACERATG TERVIEW. HE ALSO WENT TO DISNEYLAND PARIS WH SOME OF HIS EXTEND FAY. BEFOREHAND, HATON’S NEPHEW HAD ASKED TO GO TO THE STORE TO BUY ANOTHER PRCS DRS. “I WAS LIKE, LET’S GO,” SAYS HATON. AND THAT WAS HOW THE TWO OF THEM ME TO WALK HAND HAND—HATON AND HIS NEPHEW HIS BRAND-NEW DRS—THROUGH DISNEYLAND.“WHAT’S CRAZY IS,” HE REFLECTS NOW, “YOU HAVE TO LEARN SOMETHG OM A SIX-YEAR-OLD.”OUR NVERSATN ASI, THE MEAL HERE DON’T GO TOO WELL. SURVEYG THE MENU, HATON REALIZ THAT THERE IS MORE OR LS NOTHG HE N EAT. HE ORRS THE ASPARAG. SOME TIME LATER ARRIV, GARNISHED WH SOME KD OF EGG AND CROUTON TOPPG. HE PATIENTLY EXPLAS THAT HIS DIET DON’T ALLOW FOR THIS. THE WAER NODS, PROMISG TO RETURN WH “VIRG ASPARAG.”SOME FURTHER TIME PASS BEFORE A PLATE OF ASPARAG ARRIV.“THIS,” THE WAER CLAR WH A FLOURISH, “IS WHOUT EGGS.”HATON SURVEYS THE LITELY DRIZZLED GREENERY PLACED ONT OF HIM.“BUT,” HE POTS OUT, WH RTRAED POLENS, “’S GOT MAYONNAISE.”AND WH THAT, HE GIV UP. HE DRKS ANOTHER LATTE AND SUGGTS THAT WE GO FOR A DRIVE.LEWIS HATON IS BEHD THE WHEEL AND I AM HIS PASSENGER. THIS EXPERIENCE IS NOT ENTIRELY AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT. FIRST, THERE’S THE R WE ARE . HE KNOWS THAT PEOPLE EXPECT HIM TO HAVE SOME KD OF OL SPORTS R, AND HE DID HAVE RS LIKE THAT WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER. BUT THE DAYS HIS VEHICLE OF CHOICE FOR TRIPS LIKE THIS IS A TY ELECTRIC SMART R, MA BY HIS TEAM’S PARENT PANY, MERCES. SEND, ON OPEN ROADS, HATON IS AN ACHGLY SENSIBLE AND REFUL DRIVER, NEVER SPEEDG AND EQUENTLY PULLG OVER TO LET IMPATIENT DRIVERS PASS. THIRD, AS HE EXPLAS, HE ACTUALLY DON’T LIKE DRIVG. NOT THIS KD, THE KD THE RT OF DO, WH TRAFFIC TWO DIRECTNS, AND PESTRIANS, AND JUNCTNS, AND NOTHG CLEAR-CUT TO PROVE. IN FACT, HE RARELY DO . “I JT THK THAT I FD STRSFUL,” HE SAYS. “I TRY NOT TO DO THGS THAT DON’T ADD TO MY LIFE.” AND THEN HE ADDS—A STATEMENT SAID WH SCERY—“LOOK, WE’RE ON THE ROADS, ANYTHG N HAPPEN.”AFTER A WHILE, WE FD OURSELV THE OUTSKIRTS OF NICE, DOWN TOWARD THE HARBOR. “THIS IS NOW STRSFUL FOR ME,” HE SAYS. “THIS ROAD IS CRAZY. SO MUCH GOG ON HERE. I’M GOG TO TURN AROUND A SEND.”ON THE RACG TRACK, HE TELLS ME, HE DON’T FEEL FEAR, AND HE ALSO SEARCH OUT EXPERIENC LIKE SKYDIVG, ROCK CLIMBG, AND SURFG. AND YET, EVEN THE MOST NTROLLED MDS, FEAR AND LOGIC MAY SOMETIM LEAD EACH OTHER THE MOST UNPREDICTABLE OF DANC. WE ALL HAVE OUR VULNERABILI. THAT’S WHY, WHEN HATON TRAVELS TO ATRALIA, HE PREFERS TO GET A HOTEL ROOM ON ONE OF THE HIGHER FLOORS, AND WHEN HE GETS TO THE ROOM, HE WILL OFTEN CHECK AROUND THE TOILET. “I DO,” HE TELLS ME. “IT’S PATHETIC, BUT I DO.” THE REASON? “OH GOD, SPIRS,” HE SAYS. SOME ATRALIAN SPIRS ARE NOTORLY ADLY, BUT EVEN IF HE SE A PICTURE OF A SPIR ON A SCREEN, HATON N’T LOOK AT . HE CREDS HIS FEAR TO THE TIME AS A KID WHEN HIS SISTER MA HIM WATCH THE MOVIE ARACHNOPHOBIA. HE KNOWS, GIVEN EVERYTHG ELSE THAT HE DO SO DNTLSLY, THAT MIGHT SEEM ODD. “PEOPLE SAY: ‘DU! YOU DRIVE AROUND AT 200 AN HOUR!’ AND I’M LIKE, TERMS OF FEAR FACTOR, THAT’S EASY FOR ME. I GUS WE’RE JT ALL WIRED DIFFERENTLY.”BACK THE MOUNTAS, WELL AWAY OM THE CY, HATON SELECTS CREASGLY NARROW AND WDG ROADS UNTIL HE TURNS DOWN ONE THAT SEEMS LTLE MORE THAN A TRACK. I QUIETLY WONR WHETHER THIS IS A TERRIBLE IA—I N SEE HTG A TIGHT AD END AND HAVG TO BACK OUT, OR GETTG STUCK ENTIRELY—BUT HIS STCTS ARE GOOD. WE TWIST BACK AND FORTH DOWN THE EDGE OF A SLOPE THROUGH A SECRET WORLD OF CREDIBLE HO PERCHED ABOVE THE SEA. IT REMDS HIM OF HOW, A WHILE BACK, HE WENT FOR A RI ROUND HERE ONE NIGHT ON HIS MOTORBIKE. HE JT WANTED TO “GET AWAY OM EVERYTHG” AND END UP ON A ROAD LIKE THIS. HE STOPPED, TURNED OFF HIS LIGHTS—AND WAS ASTONISHED TO DISVER THAT HE WAS SURROUND BY FIREFLI. HE’D ONLY EVER SEEN THEM ANIMATED MOVI.THROUGHOUT: HAIR PRODUCTS BY AMPRO PRO STYL; GROOMG PRODUCTS BY EVOLVE ORGANIC BETY.PHOTOGRAPH BY ADRIENNE RAQUEL; STYLED BY ERIC MCNEAL.IN THE MOVIE VERSN OF THE LEWIS HATON STORY, HE WOULD HAVE RETURNED THIS SEASON AFTER THE PAFUL FIAS AT THE END OF THE LAST AND—THE BLOODIED BOXER RISG OM THE NVAS—DOMATED EVERY RACE. BUT HASN’T WORKED OUT LIKE THAT. EVERY FEW YEARS, FORMULA 1 TEAMS ARE OBLIGED TO SIGN ALMOST PLETELY NEW RS TO A REVISED SET OF SPECIFITNS. MERCES WAS EXPECTED TO EXCEL AT THIS CHALLENGE, BUT FOR 2022 GOT SOMETHG WRONG. AT HIGH SPEEDS, THE NEW R REPEATEDLY MOVED UP AND DOWN. THE CUTE NAME GIVEN TO THIS, “PORPOISG,” BELI THE UNPLEASANTNS OF THE EXPERIENCE—“THE WORST CHARACTERISTIC I’VE EVER EXPERIENCED A R,” HATON SAYS—AND S TASTROPHIC EFFECT ON PETIVENS.AFTER HE FISHED 13TH A RACE APRIL, CHATTER GREW ONCE AGA THAT HE WOULD WALK AWAY. PEOPLE SEEMED TO ASSUME THAT HIS PRI WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO TAKE THIS. IN RPONSE, HE WAS SILENT FOR A FEW DAYS. THEN HE POSTED AN IMPOSG BACKL IMAGE OF HIMSELF THE TEAM’S TIRE GARAGE, WH THIS MSAGE: WORKG ON MY MASTERPIECE, I’LL BE THE ONE TO CI WHEN ’S FISHED.“A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE ARE SH TALKERS,” HE TELLS ME. “IF I LET THOSE WORDS—THOSE PROJECTNS PEOPLE ARE PUTTG OUT, THOSE LTLE DIGS—IF I LET THAT BRG ME DOWN, THEN THEY W.”TOWARD THE END OF MAY, WHEN I JO NEARLY 122,000 OTHER SPECTATORS WATCHG THE SPANISH GRAND PRIX BARCELONA, THERE IS, AT LAST, SOME RTRAED OPTIMISM AROUND HATON’S TEAM THAT THE R’S WORST PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN OVERE. AS UAL ON RACE WEEKENDS, HATON SPENDS HIS TIME NOT ON THE TRACK SEQUTERED OM ALL THE CRAZY SURROUNDG HULLABALOO HIS BUBBLE. IF THIS WAS EVER JT A “REV UP AND GIVE YOUR BT SHOT” KD OF SPORT, IS NO LONGER: AT ONE POT I’M TAKEN UP TO GLIMPSE THE PRIVATE ENGEERG ROOM WHERE ROWS OF SER-LOOKG PEOPLE, HATON AMONG THEM, ARE STUDYG DATA ON THE SCREENS ONT OF THEM, TRYG TO WORK OUT HOW TO MAXIMIZE EVERY CREMENTAL ADVANTAGE.ALAS, THE BT-LAID PLANS.... ON THE FIRST LAP, ANOTHER DRIVER CUTS TOO CLOSE TO HATON AND THEY LLI. HATON HAS A PUNCTURE. HE IS ABLE TO CHANGE HIS TIRE, BUT WHEN HE REJOS THE RACE HE IS 19TH. OVER THE TEAM RAD, HE SOUNDS MOMENTARILY DISNSOLATE, SUGGTG MIGHT BE BT TO SAVE THE ENGE FOR ANOTHER RACE. HIS TEAM ENURAG HIM TO KEEP PHG: THEIR DATA ANALYSIS SUGGTS THAT THIS IMPROVED R HE ULD STILL FISH EIGHTH AND AT LEAST EARN SOME WORLD CHAMPNSHIP POTS.AND OM THEN, HE FLI. AT TIM, HE IS THE FASTT DRIVER ON THE TRACK, DOG ONCE MORE WHAT HE HAS DONE OVER AND OVER FOR ALL THE YEARS. “I THK HE’S AN ARTIST,” BRADY WILL TELL ME LATER. “I THK WHEN HE SE THE RACETRACK, HE SE DIFFERENT THAN EVERYONE ELSE DO. LIKE ANY GREAT ATHLETE, YOU HAVE YOUR UNIQUE WAY OF DOG THGS—EVERYONE ELSE LOOKS AT SOMETHG ONE WAY AND YOU LOOK AT A DIFFERENT WAY. AND YOU CREATE STRATEGI AND YOU EXECUTE UNR PRSURE WAYS THAT OTHER PEOPLE N’T. I JT THK HE PROBABLY SE L ON THE TRACK NO ONE ELSE N SEE.”TODAY, HATON FISH FIFTH, BUT AFTERWARD HE IS BUBBLG. TO DO THAT OM WHERE HE WAS FELT LIKE A W. “I WAS [THKG], THE GUYS ARE CRAZY—THEY’RE SMOKG SOMETHG,” HE SAYS OF THE ADVICE AFTER THE LLISN. “THERE’S NO WAY I N E OM 30 SENDS BEHD AD LAST.” THGS ARE TURNG AROUND. “WE’RE FELY GOG TO GET A W THIS YEAR. THAT’S SOMETHG I ULDN’T HAVE TOLD YOU BEFORE THE RACE. SO FEELS GREAT.”HATON HAS ANOTHER YEAR ON HIS NTRACT, WHICH PEOPLE HAVE ASSUMED MAY OFFER A NATURAL END POT FOR A DRIVER HIS AGE WHO’S ACHIEVED ALL THAT HE HAS. ASSUME ALL YOU LIKE.“I’LL BE LYG IF I SAID THAT I HADN’T THOUGHT ABOUT EXTENDG,” HE TELLS ME LATER. Y, HE’S GIVG EXTENSIVE THOUGHT TO HIS AFTER-SPORT LIFE AND HOW HE N FULFILL A CREDO TO, AS HE PUTS , “LIVE TO THE MAX, AND LIVE TO THE BT OF YOUR ABILY, HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU N THE TIME THAT YOU HAVE.” BUT JT BEE HE’S MAKG PLANS FOR WHEN ’S OVER DON’T MEAN THAT IS. “I’M STILL ON THE MISSN, I’M STILL LOVG DRIVG, I’M STILL BEG CHALLENGED BY . SO I DON’T REALLY FEEL LIKE I HAVE TO GIVE UP ANYTIME SOON.” PERHAPS ONE FURTHER SIGN OF THIS RENEWED TERMATN IS THAT WHEN HE VI FOR VICTORY AT THE BRISH GRAND PRIX EARLY JULY BEFORE FISHG THIRD, HE OFFERS NO PUBLIC EXPLANATN FOR THE FACT THAT HE IS NO LONGER WEARG HIS NOSE STUD.“ANYONE N HAVE A GREAT SEASON,” SAYS BRADY. “ANYONE N HAVE FIVE GREAT SEASONS, BUT ’S REALLY HARD TO HAVE 10 GREAT SEASONS OR 15 GREAT SEASONS. THAT TAK DIFFERENT TRAS, DIFFERENT QUALI. A LOT OF THOSE E OM THGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED YOUR LIFE THAT ALLOW YOU TO BE MOTIVATED OVER A LONG PERD OF TIME.”“I WOULD SAY,” ECHO HATON’S IEND CHAMLEY-WATSON, “HE HAS NOTHG TO PROVE BUT A LOT MORE TO ACPLISH. AND I THK HE’S JT GOG TO KEEP GOG UNTIL THE WHEELS FALL OFF, LERALLY.”IN TTH, HATON IS SULTED THAT, EVEN NOW, SO MANY PEOPLE MIGHT POSSIBLY MISTAKE HIM FOR SOMEONE WHO WOULD WALK AWAY OM A FIGHT.“BUT AGA,” HE SAYS, “THAT’S WHAT THEY WOULD DO.”NOT HIM.“I’M BUILT DIFFERENT,” HE SAYS. “I MEAN, I WAS BUILT FOR THIS. IT REMDS ME THAT PEOPLE STILL DON’T KNOW ME. EVEN AFTER ALL THE YEARS. PEOPLE STILL DON’T KNOW. SO, ALL RIGHT, I’LL PROVE YOU WRONG AGA.”HAIR, LISA TORRES; GROOMING, YUKO; MANICURE, CHEME DOLKER; TAILOR, CLAUDIA DIAZ; SET DESIGN, STEFAN BECKMAN. PRODUCED ON LOCATION BY VERY RARE PRODUCTIONS. FOR DETAILS, GO TO MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, INHERG GRACELAND, AND MORETE CRIME, TE FAH: THE SERIAL KILLER AND THE TEXAS MOM WHO STOPPED HIMCAN YOU NAME THE FILM THAT LNCHED BRIE LARSON, RAMI MALEK, AND MORE?THE ABSOLUTELY WILST DETAILS OF THE GOVERNMENT’S LATT INDICTMENT AGAST DONALD TMPIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI ETON COLLEGE, HARRY AND WILLIAM’S POSH ALMA MATERTHE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWFROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)CHRIS HEATH
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• WHAT GAYLE KG IS LOVG RIGHT NOW: PIZZA, FUNKY GLASS, AND HATON

LEWIS HATON: THE F1 SUPERSTAR ON RACISM, HIS FUTURE, AND THE SHOCKER THAT COST HIM A CHAMPNSHIPTHE MAVERICK DRIVER N HANDLE ANYTHG. BUT SPIRS. AND TRAFFIC.BY CHRIS HEATHPHOTOGRAPHY BY ADRIENNE RAQUELSTYLED BY ERIC MCNEALAUGT 8, 2022LEWIS HATON WH A 1989 LAMBHI COUNTACH AT RELATED’S 520 WT 28TH BY ZAHA HADID BUILDG NYC APRIL. CLOTHG BY VERSACE; EARRGS BY GREG YÜNA; NECKLAC BY MIKIMOTO (WHE PEARL) AND XIV KARATS.PHOTOGRAPH BY ADRIENNE RAQUEL; STYLED BY ERIC MCNEAL.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEWHEN LEWIS HATON BEME A FORMULA 1 DRIVER, SUCCS ME QUICKLY, BUT AN EASY SENSE OF BELONGG DID NOT.“I DIDN’T FEEL LIKE I WAS WELE,” HE TELLS ME. “I DIDN’T FEEL LIKE I WAS ACCEPTED. GOD KNOWS HOW MANY OF THE DRIVERS SAY: ‘THIS IS NOT WHAT A FORMULA 1 DRIVER IS. THAT’S NOT HOW YOU BEHAVE. THIS IS NOT HOW YOU DO . TATTOOS? NO! A FORMULA 1 DRIVER DON’T HAVE TATTOOS! A FORMULA 1 DRIVER DON’T HAVE A PERSONALY—AND PIERCGS!’ ”HATON RRIED ON REGARDLS, DOG THGS HIS OWN WAY, AND N’T BE SAID TO HAVE WORKED OUT TOO BADLY. HE IS NOW ONE OF MOST FAMO ATHLET ON EARTH, EVEN MORE SO SCE NETFLIX’S DOCUMENTARY SERI FORMULA 1: DRIVE TO SURVIVE BROUGHT HIS SPORT TO A NEW DIENCE, PARTICULARLY THE U.S. HE HAS WON A RERD-EQUALG SEVEN WORLD CHAMPNSHIPS, AND WHEN TO DRIVG RS LIKE THE AROUND 200 AN HOUR, SOME WOULD ARGUE HE’S THE BT THERE’S EVER BEEN.CLOTHG BY VALENTO; EARRGS BY GREG YÜNA; NECKLAC BY MIKIMOTO (BOTTOM) AND XIV KARATS.PHOTOGRAPH BY ADRIENNE RAQUEL; STYLED BY ERIC MCNEAL.THAT’S NOT TO SAY THAT, EVEN NOW, EVERYTHG IS ALWAYS SMOOTH OR STRAIGHTFORWARD. THERE IS A TATTOO ARCG ACROSS THE TOP OF HATON’S CHT THAT READS POWERFUL BEYOND MEASURE. THE WORDS ARE TAKEN OM A LONGER QUOTE BY THE WRER MARIANNE WILLIAMSON: “OUR EPT FEAR IS NOT THAT WE ARE AQUATE. OUR EPT FEAR IS THAT WE ARE POWERFUL BEYOND MEASURE. IT IS OUR LIGHT, NOT OUR DARKNS, THAT MOST IGHTENS .” “I READ , AND I THOUGHT WAS ONE OF THE GREATT SAYGS EVER,” HATON SAYS. “WE LIM OURSELV THE MAJORY OF THE TIME. AND WHERE REALLY H ME HARD IS: WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO DIM OUR LIGHT ORR TO MAKE OTHERS FEEL….” HE PS, GATHERS HIMSELF. “IF ANYTHG, WE SHOULD SHE AS BRIGHT AS WE N TO LIBERATE OTHERS TO DO THE SAME. I LIVE MY LIFE BY THAT QUOTE. FOR SO LONG MY LIFE, I FELT LIKE I WAS DIMMG MY LIGHT BEE I FELT UNFORTABLE.”GIVEN ALL THAT HE HAS ACHIEVED, MIGHT BE REASONABLE TO IMAGE THAT ANY LGERG TENSNS BETWEEN HIS NEED FOR DIVIDUAL SELF-EXPRSN AND HIS SPORT’S DIKTATS AND NVENTNS WOULD HAVE BEEN IRONED OUT OR DISSIPATED LONG AGO. REASONABLE, BUT QUE WRONG. THIS SEASON, FOR STANCE, A NFLICT HAS BLOWN UP WH HATON OVER HIS JEWELRY. THERE HAS BEEN A LE ON THE BOOKS, TURNS OUT, SCE 2005—A UPLE OF YEARS BEFORE HATON’S FIRST RACE FORMULA 1—FORBIDDG DRIVERS OM WEARG JEWELRY THE RS, FOR SAFETY REASONS. BUT UNTIL NOW, THERE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN NO ATTEMPT TO ENFORCE . HATON, WHO HABUALLY RAC WH TWO EARRGS AND A NOSE PIERCG, WAS RECENTLY TOLD THAT HE MT REMOVE THEM GOG FORWARD. “PEOPLE LOVE TO HAVE POWER,” HE SAYS. “AND TO ENFORCE POWER.”“SCE I WAS A KID—L,” HE SAYS, SHAKG HIS HEAD. “I’VE NEVER LOVED BEG TOLD WHAT TO DO.”I ASK HIM WHETHER THIS FEELS AS THOUGH IS PARTICULARLY DIRECTED TOWARD HIM.“I MEAN, YEAH,” HE REPLI. “BEE I’M THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS JEWELRY ON, REALLY.”AWARE THAT THE ISSUE WAS G TO A HEAD, HATON ATTEND A PRS NFERENCE BEFORE THE MIAMI GRAND PRIX MAY WEARG— AN ACT OF PLAYFUL MOCKERY AND PROTT—RGS ON EVERY FGER, MULTIPLE CHAS, AND THREE WATCH. “I JT PUT ON AS MUCH AS I ULD,” HE SAYS. HE ANNOUNCED THAT, IF NEED BE, HE WOULD REFE TO RACE RATHER THAN REMOVE HIS RACE-DAY JEWELRY, AND ALSO UPPED THE ANTE—AND SENT THE TER BUBBLG—WH THIS MENT: “AS I SAID, I N’T REMOVE AT LEAST TWO OF THEM. ONE, I N’T REALLY EXPLA WHERE IS.”THIS, HATON NOW SISTS, WAS FLIPPANT PROVOTN. “I WAS JT FUCKG WH ,” HE SAYS, LGHG. “I DON’T HAVE ANY OTHER PIERCGS ANYWHERE. BUT I LOVE THAT THERE’S THIS THKG: SH, HAS HE GOT HIS BALLS PIERCED?”IN SUBSEQUENT RAC, HE REMOVED HIS EARRGS, BUT HIS NOSE STUD WAS FED PLACE AND ULD NOT BE REMOVED, THEN RESERTED, AT WILL. WHEN I FIRST SPEAK TO HIM, HE HAS BEEN GRANTED A TEMPORARY EXEMPTN. IF THAT EXPIR, A CISN WILL HAVE TO BE MA, AND HE WOULD CLEARLY PREFER TO STAND FIRM.“SCE I WAS A KID—L,” HE SAYS, SHAKG HIS HEAD. “I’VE NEVER LOVED BEG TOLD WHAT TO DO.”THE FIRST TIME WE MEET, IS FOR LUNCH AT A MOROCN RTRANT, CAFE MOGADOR, MANHATTAN’S EAST VILLAGE, ACROSS TOWN OM AN APARTMENT HE OWNS HERE. HATON ORRS THE HUMM AND FALAFEL. “I ED TO LOOK AT HUMM AND I WAS LIKE, ‘NO WAY WOULD I EVER EAT HUMM!’ ” HE SAYS. “AND I LOVE NOW. IT’S MY GO-TO THG EVERY DAY.” JT ONE TOTEM, WILL BEE CLEAR, OF HIS RELENTLS SEARCH FOR A BETTER WAY.HATON, WHO’S 37, TELLS ME THAT VEGANISM WASN’T EVEN ON HIS RADAR WHEN HE WAS GROWG UP JT NORTH OF LONDON. HE’S NOW BEEN PLANT-BASED FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS, A CHANGE TRIGGERED BY A VEGAN IEND HE MET NEW YORK WHO OPENED HIS EY TO THE REALI OF FOOD PRODUCTN. THE PHYSIL MANDS OF ELE RACG ARE EXTREME, AND DOCTORS ADVISED HIM THAT HE WOULD STGGLE TO GET ENOUGH PROTE. INSTEAD HE FOUND HIS ENERGY LEVELS SMOOTHG OUT AND HIS SK CLEARG UP. “I MEAN, I’VE WON FIVE WORLD TL SCE THEN,” HE POTS OUT. “I’VE BEEN MORE NSISTENT THAN I EVER WAS THE PAST. SO JT TAK PROVG PEOPLE WRONG. AND THAT’S WHAT I DID.”PROVG PEOPLE WRONG HAS BEEN A PERSISTENT THEME HATON’S LIFE. “LOOK, WHEN I WAS AT SCHOOL, I WAS DYSLEXIC AND STGGLG LIKE HELL,” HE SAYS, “AND ONE OF THE ONLY FEW BLACK KIDS MY SCHOOL, BEG PUT THE LOWT CLASS AND NEVER GIVEN A CHANCE TO PROGRS OR EVEN HELPED TO PROGRS. TEACHERS WERE TELLG ME, ‘YOU’RE NEVER GOG TO BE NOTHG.’ I REMEMBER BEG BEHD THE SHED, TEARS, LIKE, ‘I’M NOT GOG TO BE ANYTHG.’ AND BELIEVG FOR A SPL SEND.” EVEN TODAY, HE N STILL LIST THE SPECIFIC TEACHERS WHO RERCED THIS MSAGE. IT WAS, HE SAYS, “THE MOST MOTIVATG THG TO HEAR—PECIALLY WHEN YOU WNS THEM DOG THE PLETE OPPOSE WH YOUR WHE UNTERPARTS.” STILL, HE TALKS ABOUT NOW AS THOUGH THEIR CELTY AND DIFFERENCE BEME A KD OF GIFT: “I DON’T ACTUALLY HOLD ANY GDGE AGAST THOSE PEOPLE, BEE THEY FUELED ME UP.”PHOTOGRAPH BY ADRIENNE RAQUEL; STYLED BY ERIC MCNEAL.COAT BY SAT LRENT BY ANTHONY VACRELLO; SWEATER BY GRG ARMANI; PANTS BY LOUIS VUTON MEN’S; SHO BY GUCCI; SOCKS BY PANTHERELLA; EARRGS BY GREG YÜNA; BROOCH, BANGL, AND RG BY TIFFANY & CO.PHOTOGRAPH BY ADRIENNE RAQUEL; STYLED BY ERIC MCNEAL.HATON’S IMPROBABLE ASCENDANCY BEGAN EVEN AS HE FLOUNRED AT SCHOOL. FROM SIX, HE PROVED HIMSELF A WUNRKD AT GUIDG REMOTE-NTROLLED RS—BEATG ADULTS AND APPEARG ON BRISH TV. AT EIGHT, HE MONSTRATED A SIAR APTU FOR KARTG BEFORE GRADUATG TO PROGRSIVELY MORE POWERFUL RS. BY 12, HIS PARENTS, WHO HAD SPL WHEN HE WAS TWO (HIS MOTHER IS WHE, HIS FATHER BLACK), AGREED THAT HE SHOULD LIVE WH HIS FATHER, WHO ULD BT NURTURE HIS EVINT TALENT. HIS FATHER WORKED THREE OR FOUR JOBS, AND ALL OF THE FAY’S MONEY WENT TO SUPPORTG THE PRODIGY.HATON SAYS THAT OM THE FIRST TIME HE DROVE A GO-KART, HE ULDN’T WA TO DO AGA. “FIRSTLY, ’S LIKE HAVG A SUPERPOWER,” HE SAYS. “I ULDN’T BE SUPERMAN, BUT THAT WAS LIKE YOUR CLOAK. WHEN I GOT THE R, I PUT A HELMET ON, AND I WASN’T SEEN ANY DIFFERENT. YOU N’T SEE MY SK LOR. YOU JT SEE ME AS A DRIVER. AND I WAS ABLE TO DO THGS THAT OTHERS WEREN’T ABLE TO DO. AND DIDN’T MATTER HOW BIG THE OTHER KIDS WERE, I ULD STILL BEAT THEM.”THERE HAD NEVER BEEN A BLACK FORMULA 1 DRIVER, AND THE SPORT’S PARTICIPANTS GENERALLY ME OM FAR MORE PRIVILEGED BACKGROUNDS THAN HIS. BUT WHEN HE WAS 13, HE WAS OFFERED A NTRACT, A PLACE THE DRIVER VELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR A FORMULA 1 TEAM, MCLAREN, WHICH OFFERED A POTENTIAL PATH TO HIS GOAL. THEN, JT AFTER HIS 16TH BIRTHDAY, SOMETHG HAPPENED THAT SEEMED LIKELY TO RAIL ALL.ONE DAY, AN UGLY CINT TOOK PLACE AT LUNCHTIME A SCHOOL BATHROOM. A CLASSMATE OF HATON’S WAS SEVERELY BEATEN BY SIX BOYS. HATON WAS ONE OF MANY DRAWN BY THE MOTN BUT TOOK NO PART. IN THE DAYS THAT FOLLOWED, AS THOSE RPONSIBLE WERE INTIFIED AND PUNISHED, HATON WAS LLED TO THE HEADMASTER’S OFFICE. AS HATON REMEMBERS , THE HEADMASTER TOLD HIM: “I DON’T HAVE THE EVINCE JT YET TO GET RID OF YOU.” “WHAT DO YOU MEAN?” HATON SAYS HE RETORTED. “I DIDN’T DO ANYTHG.” A UPLE OF WEEKS LATER HATON WAS LLED BACK . “FALLY,” THE HEADMASTER CLARED, “I HAVE ENOUGH TO GET RID OF YOU.” HATON WAS SAID TO HAVE KICKED THE JURED BOY. HE WAS EXPELLED, WH IMMEDIATE EFFECT.WALKG HOME, HATON FELT AS THOUGH EVERYTHG MIGHT BE OVER: THE RACG NTRACT, HIS FUTURE, ALL OF . “THE ONE THG I HAD TO DO WAS JT FISH SCHOOL, AND I ULDN’T EVEN DO THAT,” HE SAYS. HE MOMENTARILY NSIRED WHETHER WAS EVEN WORTH FACG HIS FATHER. HOW, HE WONRED, DID ONE FLEE THE UNTRY? “I REMEMBER SHAKG LIKE A LEAF, TELLG MY DAD,” HATON SAYS. “AND HIM ASKG ME: DID I DO ? I REMEMBER TELLG HIM, ‘I DIDN’T DO , DAD. I WOULDN’T DO THAT. IT’S JT NOT PART OF WHO I AM.’ AND HE SAID, ‘OKAY.’ ”HIS FATHER NTACTED OTHER FAI, WHOSE KIDS VERIFIED HATON’S ACUNT, THEN DOGGEDLY FOUGHT FOR HIS SON’S EXONERATN. MONTHS LATER, THE CISN WOULD BE OVERTURNED, THE RERD RRECTED. HATON’S RACG NTRACT WAS UNAFFECTED. BUT HE NEVER WENT BACK TO THE SCHOOL.IN 2020, ON THE FAL LAP OF THE RACE THAT WOULD NFIRM HATON’S PIVOTAL SEVENTH TLE, HE SAYS THAT MUCH OF THIS HISTORY FLASHED BEFORE HIS EY: “JT ALL THE PAST EXPERIENC, ALL THE DOUBTS THAT I HAD TO OVERE. IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST EMOTNAL EXPERIENC OF MY LIFE. THAT’S WHY I SAID, ‘THIS IS TO ALL THOSE KIDS OUT THERE…’ ” OVER THE HEADSET, AS HE SLOWED DOWN AFTER THE FISH LE, VIEWERS ULD HEAR HIS VOICE BREAKG UP WH EMOTN. HIS EXACT WORDS: THAT’S FOR ALL THE KIDS OUT THERE WHO DREAM THE IMPOSSIBLE.“I WOULD JT ALWAYS HAVE, THE BACK OF MY MD, PEOPLE TELLG ME THAT ‘YOU’RE NEVER GOG TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THAT.... THERE’S NO WAY YOU’RE GOG TO DO THIS,’ ” HE SAYS.SWEATER BY FENDI MEN’S; EARRGS BY DAVID YURMAN; RG BY CHROME HEARTS.PHOTOGRAPH BY ADRIENNE RAQUEL; STYLED BY ERIC MCNEAL.IN THE TOBGRAPHY LEWIS HATON: MY STORY, PUBLISHED 2007 AFTER HIS FIRST YEAR FORMULA 1, HATON CLARED, “FOR ME, RACE IS NOT AN ISSUE AT ALL.” THIS, HE NOW SAYS, WAS THE STANCE HE WAS ENURAGED TO TAKE.“THOSE EARLY YEARS, WE WERE JT ALWAYS TRYG TO F ,” HE SAYS. “MY DAD’S JT: DON’T TALK ABOUT THAT, JT BLEND .”HIS PERSPECTIVE EVOLVED OVER TIME, BUT THE GREATT CHANGE ME RPONSE TO THE RACIAL UPHEAVALS THE SPRG AND SUMMER OF 2020. PARTLY, WAS THAT HATON FELT PELLED, ON PRCIPLE, TO SPEAK OUT AND TAKE A STAND. “I’VE ALWAYS WONRED: WHY ME? WHY AM I THE ONLY? OUT OF ALL THE KIDS THE SCHOOL, OR ALL THE OTHER YOUNG BLACK KIDS BLACK MUNI, HOW IS THAT STUMBLED ACROSS AND GOT TO ? AND NOT ONLY GOT THERE, BUT WHY AM I AS GOOD AS I AM? WHY AM I WIRED THE WAY I AM? AND I FEEL LIKE THERE’S A MUCH BIGGER PICTURE.”BUT WHAT WAS HAPPENG OUT THE WORLD HAD ALSO UNEXPECTEDLY REAWAKENED SOME MEMORI.“THERE’S A LOT OF FEELGS THAT I SUPPRSED AT THE TIME THAT I DIDN’T EVEN REALIZE THAT I SUPPRSED—EMOTNS AND FEELGS THAT I HAD WHEN I WAS YOUNGER—AND ALL ME UP,” HE SAYS. THE SUAL RACIST ABE HE WOULD FACE, FOR STANCE, HIS GO-KARTG DAYS, PARTICULARLY WHEN HE’D TRAVEL TO ITALY AND FRANCE. “THERE WAS A LOT OF THE N-WORD GOG AROUND,” HE SAYS. OTHER TIM, WAS MORE THAN WORDS. ONE DAY WHEN HE WAS 11 OR 12, HATON WAS WALKG TO THE SHOPS NEWSTLE WHERE HIS MOTHER AND STEPFATHER THEN LIVED. HE WAS DAYDREAMG, SGG UNR HIS BREATH, THKG ABOUT THE MR. KIPLG CHOLATE K HE WANTED TO BUY. HE DIDN’T EVEN REALLY NOTICE THE TWO OF THEM—A FATHER AND SON—UNTIL THEY ATTACKED. IN A BLK, THEY HAD HIM ON THE GROUND AND WERE KICKG HIM, SHOUTG “GO BACK TO YOUR UNTRY.”“EVEN TODAY,” HE SAYS, “I REMEMBER HOW TERRIFYG WAS. I REALLY, REALLY ULDN’T UNRSTAND . IT WAS LIKE, ‘ARE THEY TALKG TO ME? I’M OM HERE. WHAT DO THEY MEAN?’ I ULD NEVER UNRSTAND . WHEN YOU’RE BEG ATTACKED, THERE’S THIS FEAR—THERE’S FEAR, AND THERE’S ANGER AS WELL BEE YOU WANT TO GET THEM BACK FOR THE PA THAT THEY’RE G YOU.”MOMENTS LIKE THIS HE KEPT TO HIMSELF. “I NEVER SPOKE ABOUT TO MY PARENTS,” HE SAYS. “I DIDN’T SPEAK ABOUT TO MY MUM—I DIDN’T THK SHE’D UNRSTAND. AND MY DAD, I WAS PROBABLY TOO SRED TO TELL MY DAD, BEE I DIDN’T WANT HIM TO THK I WAS A WS. YOU KNOW, I DIDN’T WANT HIM TO THK I ULDN’T FEND MYSELF. I JT REMEMBER A LOT OF TIM JT BEG ALONE, JT TEARS MY ROOM.”IN 2020, HATON LED HIS SPORT’S REACTN TO THE TROUBLED TIM—FOR STANCE, SUCCSFULLY ENURAGG MOST OF HIS FELLOW DRIVERS TO TAKE A KNEE, PERSUADG HIS TEAM TO REBRAND S RS A NEW BLACK PAT JOB, AND ACCEPTG HIS WNER’S TROPHY AT A GRAND PRIX ITALY SEPTEMBER 2020 WEARG A T-SHIRT EMBLAZONED WH THE WORDS: ARREST THE COPS WHO KILLED BREONNA TAYLOR. AS HE NOTED LATER, MAYBE A LTLE TARTLY, “IN THE 70 YEARS OF OUR SPORT, NO ONE’S EVER STOOD UP THERE FOR ANYTHG BUT THEMSELV.” PERHAPS PREDICTABLY, A LG WAS SUBSEQUENTLY ISSUED THAT DRIVERS ON THE PODIUM MT ONLY DISPLAY TEAM ATTIRE.HATON HAS NTUED TO TAKE MORE NCRETE STEPS. A REARCH GROUP HE SET UP, THE HATON COMMISSN, ISSUED A REPORT EXAMG TAIL THE STCTURAL REASONS FOR BLACK UNRREPRENTATN ALL PARTS OF U.K. MOTORSPORT AND INTIFYG POTENTIAL REMEDI. IN S WAKE, HE LNCHED A FOUNDATN, MISSN 44, THE MISSN QUTN BEG “TO SUPPORT, CHAMPN, AND EMPOWER YOUNG PEOPLE OM UNRSERVED GROUPS TO SUCCEED THROUGH NARROWG OPPORTUNY GAPS TN, EMPLOYMENT, AND WIR SOCIETY.” IN NVERSATN, THE ARE THEM HE REFERS TO NSTANTLY.EARRGS BY JAB & CO.; NECKLAC BY MIKIMOTO (WHE PEARL, BOTH); BRACELET BY CARTIER; RGS BY CHROME HEARTS.PHOTOGRAPH BY ADRIENNE RAQUEL; STYLED BY ERIC MCNEAL.NO NEED TO LOOK TOO FAR FOR OTHER CLU TO HATON’S EVENTUAL POST-RACG LIFE, GIVEN HOW MANY OTHER THGS HE HAS MANAGED TO DO ALONGSI DRIVG—WHICH IS ANOTHER WAY HE HAS FIED THE ORTHODOXY OF HIS SPORT. WHEN HE AGREED TO JO HIS CURRENT TEAM, MERCES, 2013, HATON SAYS THAT HE TOLD THEM HOW WOULD BE: “THIS IS WHO I AM. THE ARE THGS I LIKE TO DO. DON’T EVER TRY TO NTROL ME THAT RPECT. I’M GOG TO GIVE EVERYTHG TO THIS, AND I’M GOG TO HELP YOU W CHAMPNSHIPS. AND I’M GOG TO SHOW YOU THAT BEG DIFFERENT IS NOT A BAD THG FOR YOUR BRAND.”CONVENTNAL WISDOM WAS THAT DRIVERS SHOULD BE EARLY TO BED DURG RACG SEASON AND SHY OM ALL OTHER DISTRACTNS. HATON’S CHOSEN WAY WAS DIFFERENT. EYEBROWS WERE RAISED, FOR STANCE, WHEN HE WAS PART OF A TOMMY HILFIGER FASHN SHOW NEW YORK, FOLLOWED BY A BIG PARTY—“THE BT PARTY OF FASHN WEEK,” HE NOT—THEN FLEW TO SGAPORE FOR HIS NEXT RACE. HE KNEW WOULD BE SEEN AS A TT: “IF I’M GOG TO BE DOG THE OTHER THGS, I’VE ALSO GOT TO SHOW UP AND DO , AND BE THE SH. AND I DID THE BT LAP I’D EVER PUT TOGETHER. AND PEOPLE WERE LIKE ‘HOW THE FUCK DO HE DO ?’ ”HATON’S TERT FASHN IS AN ENDURG ONE, BOTH CREATG CLOTH FOR OTHERS AND AS PERSONAL STYLE, THE LATTER CLOSELY FOLLOWED BY HIS FANS. THE REASON I N TELL YOU PRECISELY WHAT HE WORE WHEN WE MET NEW YORK—NAHMIAS MIRACLE AMY TCKER HAT, LOUIS VUTON PRTED FLOWER DROP SHOULRS T-SHIRT, STORIA SUNGLASS, AMI PARIS ALEX STRAIGHT-LEG JEANS, OFF WHE VULNIZED HIGH-TOP SNEAKERS—IS NEHER BEE I REGNIZE THEM NOR BEE HATON EMIZ THEM FOR ME. IT IS BEE ANY TIME THERE IS A PUBLIC PHOTOGRAPHIC RERD—HE HAD POSTED AN INSTAGRAM STORY OF HIMSELF THAT MORNG REFLECTED HIS BUILDG’S ELEVATOR MIRRORS—ALYT IMMEDIATELY NSTCT AND ANALYZE THE DAY’S OUTF. BEGNG 2018, HATON SIGNED A HANDFUL OF LLECTNS PARTNERSHIP WH HILFIGER.“I SAW AS A B OF AN TERNSHIP,” HE SAYS. RECENTLY, AS WELL AS LOOKG TO HELP “YOUNG BLACK CREATIV G UP THAT ARE OVERLOOKED, PARTICULARLY THE FASHN SPACE,” HE’S BEEN NSIRG HIS OWN BRAND AND TALKS ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IS TO HIM THAT BE FULLY STAABLE. “THERE’S NOT MANY BIG BLACK-OWNED BRANDS OUT THERE,” HE SAYS. “AND WHY NOT?”“I THK HE’S AN ARTIST,” SAYS TOM BRADY. “I THK HE PROBABLY SE L ON THE TRACK NO ONE ELSE N SEE.”HATON’S BS TERTS EXTEND MULTIPLE DIRECTNS; NVERSATN WH HIM IS PUNCTUATED WH STATEMENTS LIKE “I’M GROWG TO A SPACE OF BEG AN ENTREPRENR, REALLY LOOKG TO PLA-IENDLY START-UPS.” A VEGAN RTRANT LONDON, NEAT BURGER, IS NOW EXPANDG TO THE U.S. WH LEONARDO DICAPR RECENTLY G ON BOARD AS A PARTNER. AND THERE IS ALSO HOLLYWOOD. HATON IS ONE OF THE PRODUCERS OF A FORMULA 1 MOVIE TO BE DIRECTED BY TOP GUN: MAVERICK DIRECTOR JOSEPH KOSSKI AND PRODUCED BY (AND FEATURG) BRAD PT. HATON HAS MET WH PT AND ARRANGED FOR HIM TO TOUR THE FACTORI BRA WHERE 2,000 PEOPLE ARE UNED THE SOLE TASK OF CREATG THIS YEAR’S FORMULA 1 R FOR MERCES. HATON HAS ALSO BEEN VETTG THE STORYTELLG FOR THENTICY: “TO HEAR THE B.S. THAT’S THE SCRIPT BEE THE AMERINS THAT ARE WRG ARE JT GETTG NEWLY ACCTOMED TO FORMULA 1.”HATON DON’T EXPECT TO ACT ALONGSI PT THIS FILM—HE FEELS MIGHT BE TOO CLICHéD FOR HIM TO APPEAR A RACG MOVIE—BUT HE HAS DIPPED HIS TO PREVLY, DOG A MEO ZOOLANR 2 AND LENDG HIS VOICE CARS 2 AND CARS 3. AND, TURNS OUT, HE NEARLY TOOK ON SOMETHG MUCH MORE SUBSTANTIAL A WHILE BACK. “BASILLY I’M A IEND OF TOM,” HATON SAYS. “CISE,” HE ADDS. (IN PERSON, HATON IS LOW-KEY AND UNSHOWY, AND I MEET A GROUP OF IENDS AROUND HIM WHO SEEM VERY DOWN-TO-EARTH, BUT ’S ALSO EVINT HOW FORTABLY HE NS WH THE FAMO.) “ONE OF THE NICT PEOPLE YOU’LL EVER MEET,” HATON SAYS OF CISE. “HE VED ME TO HIS SET YEARS AGO WHEN HE WAS DOG EDGE OF TOMORROW, AND THEN WE JT BUILT A IENDSHIP OVER TIME.” AS A CHILD, HATON SAW THE ORIGAL TOP GUN AND FIXATED ON BEG A FIGHTER PILOT. “SO WHEN I HEARD THE SEND ONE WAS G OUT, I WAS LIKE, ‘OH, MY GOD, I HAVE TO ASK HIM,’ ” HE SAYS. “I SAID, ‘I DON’T RE WHAT ROLE IS. I’LL EVEN SWEEP SOMETHG, BE A CLEANER THE BACK.’ ” CISE SAID Y. AND HATON WAS NOT TO BE A CLEANER; HE WAS TO BE ONE OF THE FIGHTER PILOTS. THEN REALY SET . FILMG WOULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE DURG THE CLIMAX OF THE FORMULA 1 SEASON, AND HATON KNEW HE ULDN’T UNTENANCE TURNG UP ON SET WHOUT HAVG DONE EVERY LAST PIECE OF PREPARATN. “I’M A PERFECTNIST,” HE SAYS. THERE JT WASN’T TIME. RELUCTANTLY, HE NTACTED CISE AND KOSSKI—“THE MOST UPSETTG LL THAT I THK I’VE EVER HAD”—TO LET THEM KNOW.FALLY, THERE IS MIC. “I LOVE MIC SO MUCH,” HE SAYS. “I WOULD SAY MIC SAV ME EVERY SGLE DAY.” FOR YEARS, HATON HAS BEEN WRG AND RERDG HIS OWN, AND HAS PERDILLY TIMATED THAT HE MIGHT SOON SHARE PUBLICLY. ASI OM THE OCSNAL INSTAGRAM SNIPPET AND ONE OTHER ALMOST ACCINTAL EXCEPTN, HE HAS YET TO DO SO. THE ALMOST ACCINTAL EXCEPTN WAS HIS GUT APPEARANCE ON CHRISTA AGUILERA’S 2018 ALBUM LIBERATN. HATON RENTED A STUD NEW YORK AND WROTE AND RERD HIS NTRIBUTN TO THE LIBIDAL SONG “PIPE” THREE HOURS. NO ONE WAS SUPPOSED TO KNOW WAS HIM; HE WANTED PEOPLE TO HEAR WHOUT PREJUDGMENT: “PEOPLE SAY: ‘LEWIS HATON’S DOG MIC? OH, I’M SURE THAT’S GOG TO SUCK.’ IT’S ONLY WHEN THEY HEAR STUFF THAT I DO, THEN THEY’RE LIKE, ‘OH, YOU’RE ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD.’ ” BUT ALTHOUGH HE WAS CREDED AS XNDA, HIS REAL NAME WAS ADVERTENTLY CLUD THE SONGWRG CREDS. HE WOULDN’T NFIRM THAT WAS HIM FOR SOME TIME, BUT THE SECRET WAS PRETTY MUCH OUT.CLOTHG BY FENDI MEN’S; EARRGS BY DAVID YURMAN; RGS BY CHROME HEARTS.PHOTOGRAPH BY ADRIENNE RAQUEL; STYLED BY ERIC MCNEAL.CLOTHG AND BOOTS BY FEAR OF GOD; NECKLACE BY MIKIMOTO (WHE PEARL).PHOTOGRAPH BY ADRIENNE RAQUEL; STYLED BY ERIC MCNEAL.TO GET A TE SENSE OF WHO LEWIS HATON IS 2022, YOU NEED TO UNRSTAND SOMETHG THAT HAPPENED TO HIM ABU DHABI ON DECEMBER 12, 2021.BEFORE THIS FAL RACE OF THE FORMULA 1 SEASON, HATON AND THE MUCH YOUNGER DUTCH FIREBRAND MAX VERSTAPPEN WERE TIED ON POTS. WHOEVER FISHED AHEAD OF THE OTHER ABU DHABI WOULD BEE CHAMPN—AND IF WAS HATON, HE WOULD BE THE FIRST MAN HISTORY TO W EIGHT WORLD CHAMPNSHIPS. WH FIVE LAPS TO GO, HATON WAS LEADG VERSTAPPEN BY 11 SENDS. BARRG A RANDOM PUNCTURE OR A SUDN ENGE FAILURE, WAS HARD TO IMAGE WHAT ULD GO WRONG. AND HARD TO BELIEVE AS DID.“YOU SEE THGS START TO UNFOLD,” HE SAYS, REMEMBERG, “AND MY WORST FEARS ME ALIVE. I WAS LIKE, THERE’S NO WAY THEY’RE GOG TO CHEAT ME OUT OF THIS. THERE’S NO WAY. THAT WON’T HAPPEN. SURELY NOT.”TO EXPLA TAIL THE SUBSEQUENT SERI OF EVENTS, IALLY TRIGGERED BY ANOTHER R’S ACCINT, WOULD BE BAFFLG TO ANYONE NOT STEEPED THE WORLD OF SAFETY RS, P STOPS, DIFFERENTIAL TIRE WEAR, AND UNLAPPG PROCR. BUT THE CCIAL PART IS THIS: TO ANYONE WHO UNRSTOOD F1 L AND PROTOLS, HATON NOW SEEMED STED TO W A RATHER ANTICLIMACTIC CEREMONIAL PROCSN. BUT THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN. INSTEAD, THE RACE DIRECTOR APPEARED TO IMPROVISE A LG UNR THE TENSE PRSURE OF THE MOMENT, ONE WHOUT PRECENT, WHICH ALLOWED FOR ONE FAL LAP OF SUPERFICIALLY PETIVE RACG. IT WAS A LAP HATON WOULD HAVE NO REALISTIC PROSPECT OF WNG BEE VERSTAPPEN, NOW RIGHT BEHD HIM WH H TIR, ULD EASILY OVERTAKE HIM. THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. AFTER AN QUIRY WEEKS LATER, THE RACE DIRECTOR TRANSFERRED OM HIS POST—THE OFFICIAL REPORT STATED THAT WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS HUMAN ERROR MA GOOD FAH, BUT THE L WERE CLARIFIED AND UPDATED TO ENSURE THIS WOULDN’T HAPPEN AGA. THE RULT STOOD.I ASK HATON HOW HE FELT AS HE GOT OUT OF THE R.“I DON’T KNOW IF I N REALLY PUT TO WORDS THE FEELG THAT I HAD,” HE REPLI. “I DO REMEMBER JT STG THERE JT DISBELIEF. AND REALIZG I’VE GOT TO UNDO MY BELTS, I’VE GOT TO GET OUT OF THERE, I’VE GOT TO CLIMB OUT OF THIS THG, I’VE GOT TO FD THE STRENGTH. I HAD NO STRENGTH. AND WAS ONE OF THE TOUGHT MOMENTS, I WOULD SAY, THAT I’VE HAD A LONG, LONG TIME.”I SUGGT TO HIM THAT HE MT HAVE FELT CHEATED.“I KNEW WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I KNEW WHAT CISNS HAD BEEN MA AND WHY. Y, I KNEW THAT SOMETHG WASN’T RIGHT.”WHEN HE DID GET OUT OF THE R, HIS FATHER WAS STANDG THERE. SUCH IS THE BUBBLE OF PREPARATN AND FOC BEFORE RAC THAT HATON DIDN’T EVEN KNOW WHETHER HIS FATHER WAS ABU DHABI. OVER THE YEARS, THEIR RELATNSHIP HAS HAD S DIFFICULT MOMENTS: HATON NEVER FAILS TO CRED EVERYTHG HIS FATHER DID TO MAKE HIS REER POSSIBLE, BUT THERE WAS AN AWKWARD SCHISM AFTER HIS FIRST BURST OF FORMULA 1 SUCCS WHEN HATON CID THAT HE NEED TO GO ALONE PROFSNALLY, AND TOLD HIS FATHER THAT HE JT WANTED HIM TO BE HIS FATHER. IT HAD TAKEN TIME, BUT THAT DAY ABU DHABI, THAT’S WHO HIS FATHER WAS.“HE EMBRACED ME, AND I THK HE WAS LIKE, ‘I WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW PROUD I AM OF YOU.’ HAVG YOUR FATHER EMBRACE YOU THAT WAY IS ONE OF THE MOST PROFOUND THGS I’VE EVER…” HATON TRAILS OFF. “ESPECIALLY AS YOU’VE GROWN UP NOT MANY TIM HAVG THAT.”HATON’S CLOSE IEND MELLODY HOBSON WAS ALSO ABU DHABI THAT DAY. HOBSON IS A HUGELY SUCCSFUL BS LEAR, THE CURRENT CHAIRWOMAN OF STARBUCKS AND SOON-TO-BE PART OWNER OF THE DENVER BRONS. SHE FIRST MET HATON WHEN HER MOTOR-RACG ENTHIAST HBAND-TO-BE, GEE LUS, TOOK HER TO THE MONA GRAND PRIX 2007, TELLG HER HOW “A ROOKIE BLACK DRIVER HAD JT BROKEN TO THE TOP RANKS FOR THE FIRST TIME THE SPORT’S 70-YEAR HISTORY.” HATON NSIRS HOBSON A BIG SISTER, A MENTOR, AND, GENERALLY, “ONE OF THE MOST SPIRG WOMEN I’VE EVER MET MY LIFE.” PART OF WHAT THEY SHARE IS THE EXPERIENCE OF WHAT HE SCRIB AS BEG “THE FIRST AND ONLY ONE” TO ACHIEVE WHAT THEY’VE ACHIEVED.“WE’VE BOND OVER THAT,” HOBSON AGRE. “I REMEMBER HE GAVE THIS TERVIEW WH GAYLE KG ON THE CBS MORNG SHOW A UPLE OF YEARS AGO, AND HE SAID, ‘BEG THE FIRST AND ONLY BLACK ANYTHG IS A PROUD AND LONELY WALK.’ AND I LERALLY STOPPED. I HAD CHILLS AND SORT OF WELLED UP. I KNEW EXACTLY: PROUD AND LONELY…. IT’S HOW FEELS.”HOBSON HAD NOT TOLD HATON THAT SHE AND HER HBAND WERE G TO ABU DHABI, AND THEY WERE REFULLY KEPT OUT OF HIS SIGHT THE WHOLE WEEKEND. “GEE KEPT SAYG TO ME,” HOBSON EXPLAS, “ ‘THERE’S NOTHG WORSE THAN WHEN YOU’RE THE LAST DAYS OF YOUR MOVIE AND YOU’RE TOTALLY BEHD AND YOUR FAY SHOWS UP—’S THE WORST.’ ” BUT AFTER WHAT HOBSON CHARACTERIZ AS “THE HORRIBLE ACT,” SHE AND LUS SAW HIM. “HE’S REALLY STUNNED,” SHE REMEMBERS. “STUNNED. LIKE SHOCK. HE’S ASKG THE SAME QUTN OVER AND OVER AGA: ‘WHAT HAPPENED?’ I GRABBED HIM BY BOTH SHOULRS. I WAS LIKE, ‘YOU DID EVERYTHG RIGHT.’ I KEPT SAYG THAT TO HIM. I SAID, ‘IT WASN’T YOU. YOU DID EVERYTHG RIGHT.’ AND HE JT LERALLY SAID, LIKE FOUR OR FIVE TIM: ‘WHAT HAPPENED?’ ”HATON APOLOGIZED FOR HER G ALL THAT WAY JT TO SEE HIM LOSE. “THAT’S WHY WE ME,” SHE TOLD HIM. “IN SE YOU LOST. WE DIDN’T E SE YOU WON.”“I REMEMBER STG THERE DISBELIEF. AND REALIZG I’VE GOT TO UNDO MY BELTS, I’VE GOT TO CLIMB OUT OF THIS THG. I’VE GOT TO FD THE STRENGTH. IT WAS ONE OF THE TOUGHT MOMENTS THAT I’VE HAD A LONG, LONG TIME.”IT WOULD HAVE BEEN UNRSTANDABLE—EXPECTED, ALMOST—IF, WHEN HATON GOT OUT OF HIS R ABU DHABI HE HAD BEEN RAGG, SHOUTG, CLAIMG THE UNFAIRNS OF ALL. “LIKE, NO ONE WOULD HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF HE HAD TAKEN OFF HIS HELMET AND THROWN ,” SAYS HOBSON. “OR THROWN THE STEERG WHEEL.”BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT HATON DID. AS HIS IEND TOM BRADY, WHO WAS STANDG ONT OF HIS TV, WATCHG WHAT HE LLS “JT THE CRAZIT OF ALL CRAZY ENDGS,” OBSERV, “HE HANDLED AS GRACEFULLY AS ANYONE POSSIBLY ULD IMAGE.” THERE WOULD BE NO PUBLIC VENTG OF ANY KD. INSTEAD, HATON WALKED OVER TO THE CLARED VICTOR, VERSTAPPEN, SHOOK HIS HAND, AND NGRATULATED HIM. WATCHG THIS, LUS—A MAN WHO HAS A FAIRLY NOTABLE HISTORY WHEN TO THE SUBJECT HE WAS ABOUT TO SPEAK OF—LEANED OVER TO HOBSON AND SAID: “HERO ARE BIGGER THAN CHAMPNS. LEWIS JT EARNED HERO STAT.”HATON LEARNED ABOUT THIS MENT SOON AFTER, BUT FOR A LONG WHILE HE ULDN’T REALLY HEAR . “LOOK, I WAS GOG THROUGH WHATEVER EMOTNS I WAS GOG THROUGH, SO NO ONE ULD SAY ANYTHG TO ME,” HE REMEMBERS. “IT DON’T MATTER WHO. IT DON’T REALLY MATTER WHAT IS SAID. WHEN YOU’RE FEELG A CERTA WAY, SOMETIM ’S HARD TO BREAK THROUGH.” BUT, TIME, HE TOOK . “IT’S ONE OF THE GREATT PLIMENTS YOU ULD RECEIVE,” HE SAYS. ALSO: “IT IS VERY, VERY SURREAL TO GROW UP WATCHG STAR WARS AND HAVE YODA’S DAD SAY POSIVE THGS ABOUT YOU.”CTOM TUXEDO BY GRG ARMANI MA TO MEASURE; SHIRT AND TIE BY GRG ARMANI; EARRGS BY GREG YÜNA.PHOTOGRAPH BY ADRIENNE RAQUEL; STYLED BY ERIC MCNEAL.HATON WAS PUBLICLY SILENT FOR SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER ABU DHABI, AND THERE WAS WISPREAD SPECULATN THAT HE WAS DONE WH RACG—THAT HE WOULD WALK AWAY. “I, FOR SURE, NSIRED WHETHER I WANTED TO NTUE,” HE NFIRMS. “HE WAS A DARK PLACE,” SAYS HOBSON, EXPLAG HOW SHE HAD ASKED HIM TO JO HER AND LUS FOR CHRISTMAS THE CARIBBEAN. WHEN HATON MURRED, SHE TOLD HIM THAT IF HE DIDN’T E, SHE WOULD GO TO HIM; THE END, HE ME. EVERYONE THERE WAS STCTED NOT TO BRG UP WHAT HAD HAPPENED, BUT MANY MORNGS HE AND HOBSON FOUND THE OTHER AWAKE AT DAWN. “AND THAT’S WHEN WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME SORT OF GOG AND BRIEFG,” SHE SAYS. “AND I JT KEPT TELLG HIM THGS LIKE: WE MAKE NO CISNS TIM OF GREAT ANGUISH OR PA. YOU HAVE TO JT S WH THIS, AND ’S GOG TO BE HARD AND UNFORTABLE. BUT THERE’S NOTHG TO BE DONE AT THIS MOMENT. SO DO NOTHG.”HOBSON TOLD HIM THAT SHE WOULD SUPPORT HIM IF HE DIDN’T GO BACK BUT ALSO SHARED HER BELIEF THAT “THIS IS WHAT YOU DO, AND YOU’RE NOT DONE.” THE OLYMPIC FENCER MIL CHAMLEY-WATSON, ONE OF HATON’S CLOST IENDS SCE THEY FIRST HUNG OUT A FEW YEARS AGO AT THE MET GALA—“HE WAS SAT BETWEEN MADONNA AND RIHANNA,” HATON SAYS, “AND I REMEMBER LOOKG AT HIM: ‘WHO IS THAT?’ ”—WAS ANOTHER OF THOSE WHO GATHERED AROUND HIM AFTER ABU DHABI. “I KNEW THAT HE NEED ME JT AS HIS MATE TO JT GET HIM OUT OF THE MDSET,” CHAMLEY-WATSON SAYS, ADDG THAT HE NEVER DOUBTED WHAT HATON WOULD DO. “IF YOU KNOW HIM, YOU KNOW THAT MAN IS NOT GOG TO STOP UNTIL HE WANTS TO FISH. NOT BEE SOMEBODY ELSE MA HIM STOP.”A WEEK AFTER OUR NEW YORK LUNCH, HATON AND I ARE SUPPOSED TO MEET AT WHAT I’VE BEEN TOLD IS ONE OF HIS FAVORE RTRANTS, THE FRENCH VILLAGE OF ÈZE, NOT TOO FAR OM HIS MONA HOME. BUT ARRANGEMENTS SOMEHOW GO AWRY. “I’VE NEVER BEEN HERE BEFORE,” HE SAYS AS WE ARE LED TO A TABLE AT A TERRACE WHERE THE EXPANSIVE VIEWS OVER THE MEDERRANEAN ARE BREATHTAKG, BUT WHERE HE IS ALSO SURROUND BY UNKNOWN OTHERS FAIRLY CLOSE PROXIMY. WHEN YOU ARE AS FAMO AS HATON IS MOST OF THE WORLD, YOU LEARN TO AVOID THE SUATNS. “THIS IS MORE EXPOSED THAN I NORMALLY AM,” HE NOT. “WE’LL SEE HOW GO.” AS WE TALK, HIS VOICE IS OFTEN SO QUIET THAT MY RERR N BARELY PICK UP, AS THOUGH HE FEELS NSTRAED BY THE SURROUNDGS. WHEN HE ORRS A LATTE WH OAT K, THE WAER, SEEMGLY BAFFLED BY HIS PRENCE, ASKS HIM THE AWKWARD AND FAIRLY UNANSWERABLE QUTN: “IS THAT THE REAL YOU?”WE TALK A LTLE ABOUT HATON’S LIFE. IN THE FIRST HALF OF HIS FORMULA 1 REER, HE WAS A RELATNSHIP WH EX–PSYT DOLLS SGER NILE SCHERZGER FOR SEVERAL YEARS, THEIR EVERY PERCEIVED UP AND DOWN RELENTLSLY TRACKED BY THE BRISH TABLOID MEDIA. WHATEVER PRIVATE LIFE HE HAS HAD SCE THEN, HE HAS MOSTLY KEPT TO HIMSELF. “I LEARNED THE HARD WAY,” HE SAYS. “I LEARNED THE HARD WAY.” BUT THEN HE ALSO TELLS ME—“I HAVEN’T TALKED ABOUT MUCH”—THAT THERE HAVEN’T BEEN ANY LONG RELATNSHIPS RECENT YEARS. “I’M REALLY JT SUPER FOCED ON WORK,” HE SAYS. “I’VE REALIZED THAT I N’T DO TWO THGS OR THREE THGS AT ONCE, I’VE GOT TO FOC ON ONE.” FURTHERMORE, HE ADDS, “I REALLY WANTED TO GO THROUGH A GROWTH PROCS OF GETTG MYSELF TO A POT WHERE I’M HAPPY ON MY OWN, FORTABLE MY SPACE. SO THAT IF I EVER DO MEET SOMEONE, ’S AN ADDN, RATHER THAN ‘I NEED YOU MY LIFE.’ ”AS WH MOST LIV LIVED UNR SUCH CLOSE SCTY, HATON’S THERE HAVE BEEN OCSNAL WRKL. HE HAS LONG HAD A STURDY SOCIAL MEDIA MUNN—HIS PRENT INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERSHIP IS MORE THAN 29 LN—BUT NOT EVERYTHG HAS ALWAYS LAND AS HE’D HOPED MIGHT. WE DISCS ONE PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT MOMENT. ON CHRISTMAS DAY 2017, HE POSTED TO THE WORLD WHAT WAS PRUMABLY TEND AS A CUTE AND AMG 12-SEND VIO WHICH HE SS WH HIS NEPHEW, WHO’S WEARG A PURPLE-AND-PK DRS AND BRANDISHG A WAND WH A FLUFFY PK HEART AT S END. “WHY ARE YOU WEARG A PRCS DRS?” HATON ASKS THE BOY, WHO IS LGHG. “IS THIS WHAT YOU GOT FOR CHRISTMAS? WHY DID YOU ASK FOR A PRCS DRS FOR CHRISTMAS? BOYS DON’T WEAR PRCS DRS!”THE WORLD’S RPONSE WAS SWIFT. HATON WAS NMNED FOR GENR SHAMG AND OTHER SENSIVI. A TYPIL FORCEFUL RIPOSTE: “GO STICK YOUR TOXIC MASCULY UP YOUR ARSE.”“THAT WAS SO STUPID,” HE TELLS ME OF WHAT HE DID. “I REALIZED THAT A LOT OF MY UPBRGG WAS G OUT. I WENT WH JT AN IGNORANT MOMENT. AND I STRAIGHTAWAY REALIZED THAT THAT’S NOT ACTUALLY HOW I FEEL EP SI.” BY THE NEXT DAY, HE HAD LETED THE POST; BY THE END OF THE WEEK HE HAD LETED HIS ENTIRE INSTAGRAM HISTORY. “I’M JT NOT THE KD OF PERSON THAT WANTS TO EVER HURT ANYBODY,” HE SAYS. “AND THE IA THAT I ULD HAVE HURT SOMEBODY THROUGH A STUPID POST OR JT OM SOMETHG I SAID, AGA THROUGH IGNORANCE, JT REMD ME OF HOW I HAD FELT OM THE EXPERIENC THAT I HAD HAD. AND I WAS LIKE, HOW AM I PROJECTG THAT? I REALIZED THAT WAS WRONG. AND SO THEN FDG WAYS OF NOT NECSARILY UNDOG , BUT SHOWG THAT MUNY THAT I SUPPORT THEM. IT’S DIFFICULT TODAY’S WORLD. IT’S DIFFICULT TO UNDO THGS.”HATON IS FOND OF ADAG LIKE “IT’S NOT HOW YOU FALL, ’S HOW YOU GET BACK UP,” AND HE SEEMS TO E THEM LS AS GLIB TCHPHRAS TO BRANDISH WHEN NVENIENT AND MORE AS SER GUIS TO BETTER LIVG. IN THIS STANCE, HE APOLOGIZED, FULLY AND CLEARLY, FOR THE MISTAKE HE HAD MA AND THE HURT HE HAD ED. PRIVATELY, HE TOOK UPON HIMSELF TO TE HIMSELF. HE POSED A KILT ON THE VER OF BRISH GQ AND, SI, GAVE A SELF-LACERATG TERVIEW. HE ALSO WENT TO DISNEYLAND PARIS WH SOME OF HIS EXTEND FAY. BEFOREHAND, HATON’S NEPHEW HAD ASKED TO GO TO THE STORE TO BUY ANOTHER PRCS DRS. “I WAS LIKE, LET’S GO,” SAYS HATON. AND THAT WAS HOW THE TWO OF THEM ME TO WALK HAND HAND—HATON AND HIS NEPHEW HIS BRAND-NEW DRS—THROUGH DISNEYLAND.“WHAT’S CRAZY IS,” HE REFLECTS NOW, “YOU HAVE TO LEARN SOMETHG OM A SIX-YEAR-OLD.”OUR NVERSATN ASI, THE MEAL HERE DON’T GO TOO WELL. SURVEYG THE MENU, HATON REALIZ THAT THERE IS MORE OR LS NOTHG HE N EAT. HE ORRS THE ASPARAG. SOME TIME LATER ARRIV, GARNISHED WH SOME KD OF EGG AND CROUTON TOPPG. HE PATIENTLY EXPLAS THAT HIS DIET DON’T ALLOW FOR THIS. THE WAER NODS, PROMISG TO RETURN WH “VIRG ASPARAG.”SOME FURTHER TIME PASS BEFORE A PLATE OF ASPARAG ARRIV.“THIS,” THE WAER CLAR WH A FLOURISH, “IS WHOUT EGGS.”HATON SURVEYS THE LITELY DRIZZLED GREENERY PLACED ONT OF HIM.“BUT,” HE POTS OUT, WH RTRAED POLENS, “’S GOT MAYONNAISE.”AND WH THAT, HE GIV UP. HE DRKS ANOTHER LATTE AND SUGGTS THAT WE GO FOR A DRIVE.LEWIS HATON IS BEHD THE WHEEL AND I AM HIS PASSENGER. THIS EXPERIENCE IS NOT ENTIRELY AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT. FIRST, THERE’S THE R WE ARE . HE KNOWS THAT PEOPLE EXPECT HIM TO HAVE SOME KD OF OL SPORTS R, AND HE DID HAVE RS LIKE THAT WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER. BUT THE DAYS HIS VEHICLE OF CHOICE FOR TRIPS LIKE THIS IS A TY ELECTRIC SMART R, MA BY HIS TEAM’S PARENT PANY, MERCES. SEND, ON OPEN ROADS, HATON IS AN ACHGLY SENSIBLE AND REFUL DRIVER, NEVER SPEEDG AND EQUENTLY PULLG OVER TO LET IMPATIENT DRIVERS PASS. THIRD, AS HE EXPLAS, HE ACTUALLY DON’T LIKE DRIVG. NOT THIS KD, THE KD THE RT OF DO, WH TRAFFIC TWO DIRECTNS, AND PESTRIANS, AND JUNCTNS, AND NOTHG CLEAR-CUT TO PROVE. IN FACT, HE RARELY DO . “I JT THK THAT I FD STRSFUL,” HE SAYS. “I TRY NOT TO DO THGS THAT DON’T ADD TO MY LIFE.” AND THEN HE ADDS—A STATEMENT SAID WH SCERY—“LOOK, WE’RE ON THE ROADS, ANYTHG N HAPPEN.”AFTER A WHILE, WE FD OURSELV THE OUTSKIRTS OF NICE, DOWN TOWARD THE HARBOR. “THIS IS NOW STRSFUL FOR ME,” HE SAYS. “THIS ROAD IS CRAZY. SO MUCH GOG ON HERE. I’M GOG TO TURN AROUND A SEND.”ON THE RACG TRACK, HE TELLS ME, HE DON’T FEEL FEAR, AND HE ALSO SEARCH OUT EXPERIENC LIKE SKYDIVG, ROCK CLIMBG, AND SURFG. AND YET, EVEN THE MOST NTROLLED MDS, FEAR AND LOGIC MAY SOMETIM LEAD EACH OTHER THE MOST UNPREDICTABLE OF DANC. WE ALL HAVE OUR VULNERABILI. THAT’S WHY, WHEN HATON TRAVELS TO ATRALIA, HE PREFERS TO GET A HOTEL ROOM ON ONE OF THE HIGHER FLOORS, AND WHEN HE GETS TO THE ROOM, HE WILL OFTEN CHECK AROUND THE TOILET. “I DO,” HE TELLS ME. “IT’S PATHETIC, BUT I DO.” THE REASON? “OH GOD, SPIRS,” HE SAYS. SOME ATRALIAN SPIRS ARE NOTORLY ADLY, BUT EVEN IF HE SE A PICTURE OF A SPIR ON A SCREEN, HATON N’T LOOK AT . HE CREDS HIS FEAR TO THE TIME AS A KID WHEN HIS SISTER MA HIM WATCH THE MOVIE ARACHNOPHOBIA. HE KNOWS, GIVEN EVERYTHG ELSE THAT HE DO SO DNTLSLY, THAT MIGHT SEEM ODD. “PEOPLE SAY: ‘DU! YOU DRIVE AROUND AT 200 AN HOUR!’ AND I’M LIKE, TERMS OF FEAR FACTOR, THAT’S EASY FOR ME. I GUS WE’RE JT ALL WIRED DIFFERENTLY.”BACK THE MOUNTAS, WELL AWAY OM THE CY, HATON SELECTS CREASGLY NARROW AND WDG ROADS UNTIL HE TURNS DOWN ONE THAT SEEMS LTLE MORE THAN A TRACK. I QUIETLY WONR WHETHER THIS IS A TERRIBLE IA—I N SEE HTG A TIGHT AD END AND HAVG TO BACK OUT, OR GETTG STUCK ENTIRELY—BUT HIS STCTS ARE GOOD. WE TWIST BACK AND FORTH DOWN THE EDGE OF A SLOPE THROUGH A SECRET WORLD OF CREDIBLE HO PERCHED ABOVE THE SEA. IT REMDS HIM OF HOW, A WHILE BACK, HE WENT FOR A RI ROUND HERE ONE NIGHT ON HIS MOTORBIKE. HE JT WANTED TO “GET AWAY OM EVERYTHG” AND END UP ON A ROAD LIKE THIS. HE STOPPED, TURNED OFF HIS LIGHTS—AND WAS ASTONISHED TO DISVER THAT HE WAS SURROUND BY FIREFLI. HE’D ONLY EVER SEEN THEM ANIMATED MOVI.THROUGHOUT: HAIR PRODUCTS BY AMPRO PRO STYL; GROOMG PRODUCTS BY EVOLVE ORGANIC BETY.PHOTOGRAPH BY ADRIENNE RAQUEL; STYLED BY ERIC MCNEAL.IN THE MOVIE VERSN OF THE LEWIS HATON STORY, HE WOULD HAVE RETURNED THIS SEASON AFTER THE PAFUL FIAS AT THE END OF THE LAST AND—THE BLOODIED BOXER RISG OM THE NVAS—DOMATED EVERY RACE. BUT HASN’T WORKED OUT LIKE THAT. EVERY FEW YEARS, FORMULA 1 TEAMS ARE OBLIGED TO SIGN ALMOST PLETELY NEW RS TO A REVISED SET OF SPECIFITNS. MERCES WAS EXPECTED TO EXCEL AT THIS CHALLENGE, BUT FOR 2022 GOT SOMETHG WRONG. AT HIGH SPEEDS, THE NEW R REPEATEDLY MOVED UP AND DOWN. THE CUTE NAME GIVEN TO THIS, “PORPOISG,” BELI THE UNPLEASANTNS OF THE EXPERIENCE—“THE WORST CHARACTERISTIC I’VE EVER EXPERIENCED A R,” HATON SAYS—AND S TASTROPHIC EFFECT ON PETIVENS.AFTER HE FISHED 13TH A RACE APRIL, CHATTER GREW ONCE AGA THAT HE WOULD WALK AWAY. PEOPLE SEEMED TO ASSUME THAT HIS PRI WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO TAKE THIS. IN RPONSE, HE WAS SILENT FOR A FEW DAYS. THEN HE POSTED AN IMPOSG BACKL IMAGE OF HIMSELF THE TEAM’S TIRE GARAGE, WH THIS MSAGE: WORKG ON MY MASTERPIECE, I’LL BE THE ONE TO CI WHEN ’S FISHED.“A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE ARE SH TALKERS,” HE TELLS ME. “IF I LET THOSE WORDS—THOSE PROJECTNS PEOPLE ARE PUTTG OUT, THOSE LTLE DIGS—IF I LET THAT BRG ME DOWN, THEN THEY W.”TOWARD THE END OF MAY, WHEN I JO NEARLY 122,000 OTHER SPECTATORS WATCHG THE SPANISH GRAND PRIX BARCELONA, THERE IS, AT LAST, SOME RTRAED OPTIMISM AROUND HATON’S TEAM THAT THE R’S WORST PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN OVERE. AS UAL ON RACE WEEKENDS, HATON SPENDS HIS TIME NOT ON THE TRACK SEQUTERED OM ALL THE CRAZY SURROUNDG HULLABALOO HIS BUBBLE. IF THIS WAS EVER JT A “REV UP AND GIVE YOUR BT SHOT” KD OF SPORT, IS NO LONGER: AT ONE POT I’M TAKEN UP TO GLIMPSE THE PRIVATE ENGEERG ROOM WHERE ROWS OF SER-LOOKG PEOPLE, HATON AMONG THEM, ARE STUDYG DATA ON THE SCREENS ONT OF THEM, TRYG TO WORK OUT HOW TO MAXIMIZE EVERY CREMENTAL ADVANTAGE.ALAS, THE BT-LAID PLANS.... ON THE FIRST LAP, ANOTHER DRIVER CUTS TOO CLOSE TO HATON AND THEY LLI. HATON HAS A PUNCTURE. HE IS ABLE TO CHANGE HIS TIRE, BUT WHEN HE REJOS THE RACE HE IS 19TH. OVER THE TEAM RAD, HE SOUNDS MOMENTARILY DISNSOLATE, SUGGTG MIGHT BE BT TO SAVE THE ENGE FOR ANOTHER RACE. HIS TEAM ENURAG HIM TO KEEP PHG: THEIR DATA ANALYSIS SUGGTS THAT THIS IMPROVED R HE ULD STILL FISH EIGHTH AND AT LEAST EARN SOME WORLD CHAMPNSHIP POTS.AND OM THEN, HE FLI. AT TIM, HE IS THE FASTT DRIVER ON THE TRACK, DOG ONCE MORE WHAT HE HAS DONE OVER AND OVER FOR ALL THE YEARS. “I THK HE’S AN ARTIST,” BRADY WILL TELL ME LATER. “I THK WHEN HE SE THE RACETRACK, HE SE DIFFERENT THAN EVERYONE ELSE DO. LIKE ANY GREAT ATHLETE, YOU HAVE YOUR UNIQUE WAY OF DOG THGS—EVERYONE ELSE LOOKS AT SOMETHG ONE WAY AND YOU LOOK AT A DIFFERENT WAY. AND YOU CREATE STRATEGI AND YOU EXECUTE UNR PRSURE WAYS THAT OTHER PEOPLE N’T. I JT THK HE PROBABLY SE L ON THE TRACK NO ONE ELSE N SEE.”TODAY, HATON FISH FIFTH, BUT AFTERWARD HE IS BUBBLG. TO DO THAT OM WHERE HE WAS FELT LIKE A W. “I WAS [THKG], THE GUYS ARE CRAZY—THEY’RE SMOKG SOMETHG,” HE SAYS OF THE ADVICE AFTER THE LLISN. “THERE’S NO WAY I N E OM 30 SENDS BEHD AD LAST.” THGS ARE TURNG AROUND. “WE’RE FELY GOG TO GET A W THIS YEAR. THAT’S SOMETHG I ULDN’T HAVE TOLD YOU BEFORE THE RACE. SO FEELS GREAT.”HATON HAS ANOTHER YEAR ON HIS NTRACT, WHICH PEOPLE HAVE ASSUMED MAY OFFER A NATURAL END POT FOR A DRIVER HIS AGE WHO’S ACHIEVED ALL THAT HE HAS. ASSUME ALL YOU LIKE.“I’LL BE LYG IF I SAID THAT I HADN’T THOUGHT ABOUT EXTENDG,” HE TELLS ME LATER. Y, HE’S GIVG EXTENSIVE THOUGHT TO HIS AFTER-SPORT LIFE AND HOW HE N FULFILL A CREDO TO, AS HE PUTS , “LIVE TO THE MAX, AND LIVE TO THE BT OF YOUR ABILY, HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU N THE TIME THAT YOU HAVE.” BUT JT BEE HE’S MAKG PLANS FOR WHEN ’S OVER DON’T MEAN THAT IS. “I’M STILL ON THE MISSN, I’M STILL LOVG DRIVG, I’M STILL BEG CHALLENGED BY . SO I DON’T REALLY FEEL LIKE I HAVE TO GIVE UP ANYTIME SOON.” PERHAPS ONE FURTHER SIGN OF THIS RENEWED TERMATN IS THAT WHEN HE VI FOR VICTORY AT THE BRISH GRAND PRIX EARLY JULY BEFORE FISHG THIRD, HE OFFERS NO PUBLIC EXPLANATN FOR THE FACT THAT HE IS NO LONGER WEARG HIS NOSE STUD.“ANYONE N HAVE A GREAT SEASON,” SAYS BRADY. “ANYONE N HAVE FIVE GREAT SEASONS, BUT ’S REALLY HARD TO HAVE 10 GREAT SEASONS OR 15 GREAT SEASONS. THAT TAK DIFFERENT TRAS, DIFFERENT QUALI. A LOT OF THOSE E OM THGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED YOUR LIFE THAT ALLOW YOU TO BE MOTIVATED OVER A LONG PERD OF TIME.”“I WOULD SAY,” ECHO HATON’S IEND CHAMLEY-WATSON, “HE HAS NOTHG TO PROVE BUT A LOT MORE TO ACPLISH. AND I THK HE’S JT GOG TO KEEP GOG UNTIL THE WHEELS FALL OFF, LERALLY.”IN TTH, HATON IS SULTED THAT, EVEN NOW, SO MANY PEOPLE MIGHT POSSIBLY MISTAKE HIM FOR SOMEONE WHO WOULD WALK AWAY OM A FIGHT.“BUT AGA,” HE SAYS, “THAT’S WHAT THEY WOULD DO.”NOT HIM.“I’M BUILT DIFFERENT,” HE SAYS. “I MEAN, I WAS BUILT FOR THIS. IT REMDS ME THAT PEOPLE STILL DON’T KNOW ME. EVEN AFTER ALL THE YEARS. PEOPLE STILL DON’T KNOW. SO, ALL RIGHT, I’LL PROVE YOU WRONG AGA.”HAIR, LISA TORRES; GROOMING, YUKO; MANICURE, CHEME DOLKER; TAILOR, CLAUDIA DIAZ; SET DESIGN, STEFAN BECKMAN. PRODUCED ON LOCATION BY VERY RARE PRODUCTIONS. FOR DETAILS, GO TO MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, INHERG GRACELAND, AND MORETE CRIME, TE FAH: THE SERIAL KILLER AND THE TEXAS MOM WHO STOPPED HIMCAN YOU NAME THE FILM THAT LNCHED BRIE LARSON, RAMI MALEK, AND MORE?THE ABSOLUTELY WILST DETAILS OF THE GOVERNMENT’S LATT INDICTMENT AGAST DONALD TMPIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI ETON COLLEGE, HARRY AND WILLIAM’S POSH ALMA MATERTHE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWFROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)CHRIS HEATH

“I remember he gave this terview wh Gayle Kg on the CBS morng show a uple of years ago, and he said, ‘Beg the first and only Black anythg is a proud and lonely walk. You may thk you've heard everythg there is to know about Gayle Kg — AKA Oprah Wey's bt iend — but are you aware of the fact that she's a mom to two amazg adult children, cludg a son who's grown up to be absolutely geo?

Gayle Kg and her hband, William Bump, lled qus 1993 after 11 years of marriage when — get this — the news anchor found her man bed wh another women. Speakg wh Vany Fair 2016, Gayle didn't hold anythg back when she was asked to name the one livg person she spis the most.

GAYLE KG'S SON GREW UP TO BE GEO

Gayle's ex wasted no time issug a public apology (spe the 26-year lay! Beg bt iends wh Oprah would surely entle you to some pretty amazg gifts (after all, her holiday shows were LEGENDARY), but as Gayle Kg revealed November 2017, the most memorable gift she ever received om her btie was more for her son and dghter than for her. Durg an appearance on Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live, Gayle took fan qutns and was asked by a ller, "What's your all-time favore thg om Oprah?

' — she gifted me a live- nanny, " Gayle said cheekily. Graduated om De Universy 2009, Oprah Wey was asked to addrs the graduatg class and wasted no time tellg everyone that Gayle Kg's son is... "My godson, William Bump, the son of Will Bump and my bt iend, Gayle.

Scroll through Gayle Kg's Instagram feed and you'll fd untls photos of her spendg time wh both of her children, but 's easy to feel like her firstborn, William, gets extra special treatment. Speakg wh Us Weekly back 2012, Gayle revealed, "I'm happit when I'm spendg time wh my son and dghter" — she sure wasn't kiddg!

LEWIS HATON IS GAY!!

Haton, said his statement: “Today, que rightly, beg gay is a reason to celebrate and be proud.

When she's not on air, Gayle is divg to all thgs news, trendg topics, and pop culture. Lisa Gayle Lewis Haton, 61, of Befort, passed away Wednday, September 15, 2021 at Crystal Bluffs Rehabilatn and Health Care Center. Gayle Kg is -host of CBS THIS MORNING.

WHAT GAYLE KG IS LOVG RIGHT NOW: PIZZA, FUNKY GLASS, AND HATON

Kg recently began hostg a live, 6 episo, weekly rad show tled “Gayle Kg the Hoe” on SiriXM. In January 2020, Kg hosted “The Gayle Kg Grammy Special” which clud a slate of terviews wh nome such as Lizzo, Billie Eilish, Jonas Brothers Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani and Lil Nas X.

GAYLE KG

Kg prevly hosted “The Gayle Kg Show, ” a live, weekday televisn terview program on OWN: The Oprah Wey Network.

to check availabily on Gayle Kg and other top speakers and celebri. Homosexualy is illegal and punished wh a fe or a prison sentence, and trans people nnot legally change genr.

Acrdg to a report to state-sponsored homophobia by Lus Ramón Mendos of the human rights group ILGA World, Qatar “ns Sharia urts, where technilly is possible that Mlim men uld be put to ath for same-sex sexual behavurs. 6 Thgs Gayle Kg Is Lovg This November.

FORMULA ONE CHAMPN LEWIS HATON CONVERSATN W/GAYLE KG AT 92Y

Lewis Haton's 92Y Interview Wh Gayle Kg. Gayle Kg.

Gayle Kg is -host of "CBS Morngs.

She is also edor-at-large of Oprah Daily and hosts a live, weekly rad show tled "Gayle Kg the Hoe" on jog CBS News 2011, Kg has nducted revealg and news-makg terviews wh world lears, polil figur and celebri cludg former Print Barack Obama; Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; Bce Sprgsteen; Dave Chappelle; Dylan Farrow; Chris Rock; Elon Mk; Billie Eilish; R. Kg has anchored multiple prime time specials cludg "The Gayle Kg Grammy Special" which clud a slate of terviews wh nome such as Lizzo, Billie Eilish, Jonas Brothers, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani and Lil Nas X; "BET News and Facebook Prent: COVID-19: Black Ameri's Fight;" CBS News' special on racism and police btaly "Jtice for All;" "John Lewis: Celebratg a Hero;" BET's "Say Her Name: The Untold Story of Breonna Taylor;" the BET primetime exclive special, "Cicely Tyson: In Her Own Words, " honorg the life and legacy of the inic actrs; "Meghan and Harry Pl One;" "The Queen Carri On: A Gayle Kg Special;" "The Chv Verdict, " and "Tulsa 1921: An Amerin Tragedy. " Kg prevly hosted "The Gayle Kg Show, " a live, weekday televisn terview program on OWN: The Oprah Wey Network.

6 THGS GAYLE KG IS LOVG THIS NOVEMBER

In 2018 she was ducted to the Broadstg & Cable Hall of Fame and 2019 she was selected for the TIME 100, Time Magaze's annual list of the hundred most fluential people the mother of a dghter, Kirby, and a son, Will, she currently ris New York Gayle Kg: Twter | Instagram.

GAYLE KG

WHAT GAYLE KG IS LOVG RIGHT NOW: PIZZA, FUNKY GLASS, AND HATON