Sir Lewis Hamilton has spoken of his excitement at being part of Martin Broughton’s consortium to buy Chelsea, describing it as a "great opportunity". The Formula One star confirmed via a statement on Thursday that he was part of the bid along with Tennis legend Serena Williams.
The Blues were put up for sale by Roman Abramovich after the UK government placed a number of sanctions on the 55-year-old after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As a result of which the club could only operate on a special licence which has restricted their ability to sell tickets, merchandise and offer players new contracts.
There are three parties that are trying to acquire the club with Broughton’s bid rivalled by consortiums led by Steve Pagliuca and Todd Boehly. Hamilton discussed his reasoning for getting involved in the bid to buy Chelsea at a press conference ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
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"Chelsea is one of the biggest teams in the world," said Hamilton. "When I heard about the opportunity, I was like wow, this is a great opportunity to be part of something so great.
"Sir Martin took time to speak to me on the phone and explain to me his and his team's goals if they were to win the bid, which was incredibly exciting and very much aligned with my values."
The seven-time F1 champion also shed some light on his club allegiances as a youngster having grown up as an Arsenal fan. But the 37-year-old revealed that he also went to Chelsea games as a child.
"When I was young, I wanted to fit in and all the kids supported different teams," he added. "I remember switching between teams and my sister punching me and saying you have to support Arsenal, so then I became a supporter of Arsenal.
"But my uncle Terry is a big Blues fan and I have been to so many games with him to watch Arsenal and Chelsea play."
