Why did Lewis Hamilton not attend Met Gala 2023?
Christopher Duran
Updated on April 01, 2026
The Met Gala, headed by Vogue Magazine’s Editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, is undoubtedly one of the biggest nights for the fashion industry. It is a fundraiser organised at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and it has an exclusive guest-list where only the A-listers handpicked by Wintour are invited to grace the event. Besides being one of the most successful and talented F1 racers of this generation, Lewis Hamilton is known all around the world as a fashion icon too. His impeccable yet quirky style, and his advocacy for the Blacks has made him a global figure. Thus, it goes without saying that Lewis Hamilton is a frequent guest at the Met Gala.
This year, the Met Gala has the theme of–“In honor of Karl” to pay homage to the late Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld, who is often regarded as the Godfather of Fashion. Now, Lewis Hamilton has been a longtime friend of the German designer, and when he passed away, the F1 racer had commented, “To even be associated with Karl is an absolute dream for me. Here’s to you, #KarlLagerfeld, the godfather of fashion.” Thus, all his fans were excited to see Lewis recreate one of Karl’s signature looks for his Met Gala appearance this year, but unfortunately, the seven-time World Champion was a no-show.
The most probably reason for Lewis Hamilton not being able to attend the Met Gala is the jam-packed Formula 1 schedule. The F1 circus returned for the Azerbaijan GP after a 3-week-long Spring Break, and for the next few weeks, there are Grands Prix almost every weekend. Lewis Hamilton posted a story saying “Bye, Baku” on Monday, and as it is a 15-hour-flight from Baku to Miami, there is no way the racer could reach New York in time for the Met Gala.
Related: Aston Martin urges F1 to ‘keep its DNA’ amidst radical Baku race weekend changes
Lewis Hamilton cheers on friend Serena Williams as she reveals her pregnancy at the Met Gala 2023
Lewis Hamilton has been associated with the Met Gala for many years, and in 2021, he made a surprising move by buying an entire table at the event for young Black designers. But this year, he could not attend the fashion extravaganza because of his racing schedule. But he confirmed that he is following the news about the Met Gala as he reposted his close friend Serena Williams’ picture from the event where she disclosed her pregnancy. Lewis cheered on his tennis star friend by commenting, “Many blessings @serenawilliams.”
Even though Lewis Hamilton had to miss out on his Met Gala 2023 appearance, F1 fans were not completely deprived of the opportunity to see their idols dress up for the biggest night in the fashion industry. Former McLaren racer Daniel Ricciardo served up a suave look at the Met where he was joined by fellow Aussies including Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban, Baz Luhrmann, Miranda Kerr, Hugh Jackman, and Margot Robbie.
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