The Truth About Lewis Hamilton's Dating History
Lewis Hamilton has quite the dating history, and it's no wonder. The British Formula 1 racer is one of the most successful sportsmen in the world with seven World Drivers' Championship titles under his belt (per BBC), making himself and Michael Schumacher the only two drivers in history to achieve the impressive feat.
But that's not all. Hamilton also has the most individual wins of any driver in circuit history: 95. With 11 wins to close out 2020, he surpassed Schumacher's previous record of 91, according to Insider, and was named BBC's Sports Personality of the Year. The star is only set to improve on those achievements when the 2021 Formula One World Championship officially gets underway with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 26, 2021.
With such a high-profile career, it's not surprising Hamilton has been romantically linked to some of the most famous faces in the world. Along with his very high-profile relationship with Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger, he's also reported to have dated A-List beauties, including Kendall Jenner, Rihanna, and Nicki Minaj. Keep reading for all the details.
What happened between Nicole Scherzinger and Lewis Hamilton
Nicole Scherzinger and Lewis Hamilton enjoyed a rocky but lengthy romance after they were first linked in November 2007 after meeting at the 2007 MTV Europe Music Awards, but split in January 2010. A spokesperson confirmed the news at the time, per The Telegraph, saying they "decided to focus fully on their careers and will remain close friends."
But Hamilton and Scherzinger's split didn't last long, as they reconciled before splitting again in 2015. During that time, the Pussycat Dolls singer was spotted at several Grand Prix races and the couple also showed their support for one another on social media. In October 2012, per Metro, Hamilton promoted her music on Twitter and shared his excitement to watch her as a judge on The X Factor U.K. Scherzinger replied in part, "you are always #1 to me."
But their reconciliation was fraught with breakups before they split for good, with Metro reporting they broke up at least four times. Scherzinger told The Sun in February 2015 of their final split, "I'm devastated that it didn't work out. It was the hardest decision we had to make, but we made it together. I love Lewis and I know he loves me. We wish nothing but happiness and the very best for one another. I'm trying to stay strong in my faith right now."
Lewis Hamilton heated things up with Rihanna in 2015
Following his split with Nicole Scherzinger, Lewis Hamilton was reported to have dated Rihanna. The twosome were spotted on a yacht in her home country of Barbados in August 2015. An insider alleged to E! News that the two were getting very close and Rihanna also spent some time with friends and family while she was home, but claimed that "Lewis was the only romantic interest on her mind." They allegedly "had lots of fun together around the island and also got some private romantic time," while the source claimed they were taking things slow and hadn't labelled their relationship.
Hamilton played coy when asked if there was anything romantic going on. "You know, I've known Ri for a long time. We've been friends for a while. We get to hang out every now and again...," he teased to E! News in late August. But the dating rumors didn't stop there. TMZ shared footage of the duo leaving the same New York City club just a few minutes apart on Sep. 11, 2015.
Lewis Hamilton was rumored to have had a 'fling' with Kendall Jenner
In September 2015, Lewis Hamilton was also spotted out and about with Kendall Jenner. Per Heat World, their relationship was described as a "fling" when they were photographed on the streets of New York City after a source alleged that the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star's mom Kris Jenner was happy to see them together. A source alleged that Lewis was supposedly "worried he isn't 'cool' enough for Kendall" while Kim Kardashian's younger sister was reported to have been "concerned his career may overshadow her modeling." However, they claimed that Kris thought Hamilton was "the kind of man Kendall needs."
Hamilton was asked about the model during an October 2016 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show when he was quizzed about Scherzinger, Rihanna, and Kendall. "You've been with Rihanna..." DeGeneres said as Hamilton teased, "Oh really?," before the host continued, "Yes you have... Kendall Jenner and lots of people, yes, are you single now?" Hamilton laughed and confirmed he was officially single while touching on his romance with Nicole Scherzinger. "I was in a long relationship. I was in an almost eight-year relationship. Now I'm solely focused on my racing," he said.
Lewis Hamilton was spotted leaving Rita Ora's apartment
In July 2016, Lewis Hamilton and Rita Ora sparked rumors of a romance when the racecar driver was spotted leaving Ora's home in London. The Daily Mail shared snaps that showed the duo heading to separate cars in similar white outfits. Hamilton went slightly incognito in sunglasses and a baseball cap when he was snapped just a few days after the outlet claimed that he was seen at Ora's place again after allegedly spending the night.
A source dished on their supposed romance to The Sun at the time, alleging that they'd known each other for a little while and that things had "been heating up," with the supposed couple having taken things to "the next level" around the time the candid photos were published. The source claimed that they enjoyed "each other's company and seem closer than ever," though neither ever publicly commented on rumors they dated.
Lewis Hamilton and Winnie Harlow got close on the red carpet
Lewis Hamilton is also rumored to have dated former America's Next Top Model contestant and Victoria's Secret model Winnie Harlow. The twosome were first linked romantically in September 2016 after they were seen leaving the GQ Men Of The Year Awards in London. A source alleged to The Sun that they'd "known each other for a while" before the event and had previously partied together in New York, but claimed things had "stepped up a notch" since then.
They alleged they'd been on a couple of dates, while Harlow supported him at his Grand Prix party in July 2016. Hamilton and Harlow were spotted together again in December 2019 when, per the Daily Mail, Hamilton proved he was still good friends with her and Rihanna as he and Harlow both attended the Fenty after-party for the British Fashion Awards in London.
Lewis Hamilton appeared to enjoy an exotic date with Nicki Minaj
Lewis Hamilton also sparked dating rumors with Nicki Minaj after the two were spotted together on multiple occasions. Per Capital Xtra, the duo first got people talking in September 2016 when they were photographed together for the first time at New York Fashion Week when they sat alongside one another at Alexander Wang's Spring 2016 fashion show.
Just Jared reported that they were then spotted together again in NYC two years later on Sep. 10, 2018, when they hit the red carpet at a launch party for Hamilton's collaboration with Tommy Hilfiger. On Sep. 26 and Sep. 27, 2018, they both shared photos from a quad bike ride in Dubai that looked very much like a date. Hamilton shared a snap to his Instagram alongside the caption, "Riders." Minaj posted a closer-up photo of their faces with helmets on to her Instagram and wrote, "Caribbean tingz what I on. Me & Lewis gettin paper like what ink dry on. #Versace."
November 2018 saw the possible onetime couple put their affection for one another on Instagram. In posts shared to their stories, Capital Xtra reported Hamilton congratulated Minaj on her two People's Choice Awards wins, while Minaj told the driver that she was "so proud" of him after another race win and referred to him as "sweetheart."
Lewis Hamilton posted Barbra Palvin on his Instagram
Before Barbara Palvin began dating Dylan Sprouse, she was linked to Lewis Hamilton. The driver didn't do much to dispel rumors he was seeing the Victoria's Secret model after he seemingly confirmed a romance by sharing a video to his Instagram Story in August 2018. The Daily Express reported it showed them walking down a hallway together. The supermodel mouthed "Hi" while Hamilton replied, "I see you."
The social-media share appeared to be a reunion as the two were first linked in July 2016 and were photographed hugging in an embrace after he won the Hungarian Grand Prix, a month after The Sun alleged that the two were dating after meeting at the Cannes Film Festival. A source claimed that they "got on like a house on fire. They hung out every day and partied at night. By the end of the trip they were really close."