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Damson Idris has spent two years inside Formula 1's inner circle, and his verdict on Lewis Hamilton is simple: the seven-time champion operates in the same mental space as Michael Jordan. The British actor, who starred opposite Brad Pitt in F1 The Movie, made the comparison on the F1 Beyond The Grid podcast, telling host Tom Clarkson that Hamilton's defining trait is competing entirely against himself.
"He has that Michael Jordan thing, that it's him against him. He's not in competition with anyone else," Idris said. He placed Hamilton in a bracket alongside Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and actor Daniel Day-Lewis — people who, in his words, "just absolutely wholeheartedly commit to their craft." Hamilton served as executive producer on the film, giving Idris direct access throughout production.
The actor recalled texting Hamilton after his Barcelona victory — Hamilton's sole win so far this season — and getting back a characteristically low-key reply: "Oh man, everything's crazy. Damn, son." Idris revealed Hamilton calls him "Damn, son" as a nickname. He also described an early lesson in how seriously Hamilton approaches race weekends: spotting the Ferrari driver with headphones on before a Budapest grand prix, Idris chose not to interrupt. "That's when I realised this is not a joke for him," he said.
That focus matters, because Hamilton needs it. He sits third in the championship standings on 147 points, 32 behind Mercedes leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli and 7 behind team-mate George Russell. Ferrari trail Mercedes by 78 points in the constructors' battle. F1 The Movie, directed by Joseph Kosinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, has grossed over $634 million at the global box office since its June 2025 release, with a sequel already being discussed.