Lewis Hamilton faces ‘showmance’ claims over new ‘relationship’

Kardashian, meanwhile, has brought in high-profile athletes to expand Skims, working with Jude Bellingham, Serena Williams and Simone Biles.

A source close to her said: “Formula 1 is one of the last major global platforms it has not entered in a meaningful way. Kim has worked with athletes in football, basketball, tennis and gymnastics, but motorsport remains relatively uncharted territory for her brand.”

The source continued: “Lewis brings more than just sporting qualities. He is charismatic, globally recognizable and deeply embedded in fashion and entertainment circles. From a commercial perspective, the crossover potential for this pair is enormous. Even without a formal partnership, the association only opens doors and expands the audience in a way that is difficult to replicate through traditional marketing.”

Hamilton has previously been linked to Nicole Scherzinger, Rihanna and others, often amid speculation about the partnerships that generated publicity for him.

“There has been a consistent thread of very public, very headline-grabbing over the years,” said a former employee. “He tends to gravitate toward relationships that naturally generate attention, whether intentionally or not.

“In Lewis’s world, the line between private life and professional strategy often seems porous. The people he is seen with often occupy the same cultural and commercial spaces he wants to dominate. That overlap makes it difficult to separate what is purely personal from what might also serve a broader story about who he is and where he is going in terms of branding and business, and Kim can advise him on both.”