Sky F1 commentator David Croft believes Lewis Hamilton's rumoured relationship with Kim Kardashian is a major "benefit" to the Briton's on-track performance.
The seven-time world champion is rumoured to be dating the American reality TV star and was spotted with the 45-year-old in Tokyo ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix.
While not official, Croft thinks the pair are well suited and "understand" each other's lives, something he expects to be hugely positive for Hamilton.
It has been a tremendous start to 2026 for the Ferrari driver, who secured his first podium for the Scuderia in Shanghai.
Being involved in the development of this year's car has worked wonders for the 41-year-old, who also has a new race engineer.
"If we are talking Lewis Hamilton, we should talk about the emoji — the Oscar-winning emoji," began Croft on the Sky F1 podcast.
"Well, not Oscar-winning emoji, but the one where Kim Kardashian is tweeting away and Instagramming away, and Lewis replies with the happy face with the love heart.
"So he's kind of gone a bit more public on the Kim thing as well. And you know what? I've said this before: if they're in a relationship, I think that could be a really good thing for Lewis.
"And I think the two people really understand each other, and that will only be a benefit for Lewis."
Hamilton of 2025 has 'gone'
Hamilton has been significantly more positive than he was for the bulk of 2025, a period where the veteran was unrecognisable.
According to Croft, the driver himself conceded he did not know who he was last year but is officially back to his best.
"If he's a happy man and he's settled in his private life, then his racing will benefit from that as well," added Croft.
"He's in a good place. And he said in China that last year he became a person that he didn't recognise and he didn't know, and that person has now gone.
"And that's great to hear, because there were times last year — Las Vegas particularly — when that wasn't the Lewis that we know, on or off the track."
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding, as they look back on the Chinese Grand Prix. The trio discuss Lewis Hamilton's praise of the new F1 regulations and Max Verstappen's striking criticism, before debating their own views!
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