Hamilton joins ownership group of NFL franchise

Lewis Hamilton has joined the new ownership team of NFL team and three-time Superbowl winners the Denver Broncos.

Hamilton’s involvement in the franchise was revealed on Tuesday by Rob Walton, heir to the Walmart retail empire and part of a consortium due to take over the Colorado-based outfit later this month.

"We're delighted to welcome seven-time Formula 1 world champion Sir Lewis Hamilton to our ownership group," Walton wrote on Twitter.

"He is a champion competitor who knows what it takes to lead a winning team and a fierce advocate for global equality, including in his own sport.

"With over 100 race wins, Lewis is considered the most successful F1 driver of all time. His resilient spirit and standard of excellence will be an asset to the ownership group and the Broncos organisation."

Hamilton 'excited' at new venture

Hamilton added that he was "honoured" to be part of the Broncos' new ownership structure.

"Excited to join an incredible group of owners and become a part of the Broncos story," he said in a tweet, accompanied by a picture of his dog Roscoe wearing Broncos gear.

"Honoured to work with a world class team and serve as an example of the value of more diverse leadership across all sports."

Hamilton frequently spends time at a property he owns in Aspen, some 150 miles from Denver, where he has based himself during F1's winter off-season.

The Briton is also known to be on friendly terms with the Broncos' new quarterback, Russell Wilson, whom Hamilton hosted at the 2018 Canadian Grand Prix, taking him on a hot lap of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in a Mercedes sports car.

Wilson also took to Twitter to congratulate Hamilton on his new role with the Broncos, adding: "Winning is a habit!"

Hamilton joined failed Chelsea bid in April

Hamilton's involvement with the Denver Broncos is not the first time this year that the Briton has sought to part-own a sporting franchise.

In April, Hamilton and tennis star Serena Williams joined a consortium led by former British Airways chairman Martin Broughton that bid unsuccessfully to buy Premier League side Chelsea FC.

Hamilton's move to buy Chelsea prompted Max Verstappen to express his confusion at the Briton's move, quipping that he thought Hamilton was instead a fan of fellow Premier League outfit Arsenal.