Playboy Lewis Hamilton is facing claims his newly reported romance with Kim Kardashian is less a love story and more a calculated brand exercise – with insiders asking if the relationship is a carefully staged “showmance” designed to elevate both their global profiles, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Hamilton, 41, a seven-time Formula 1 world champion who debuted in the sport in 2007 and now drives for Ferrari, has long signaled ambitions beyond the racetrack. Kardashian, 45, a reality television star turned entrepreneur whose shapewear label Skims is valued at $5billion, has built a business empire rooted in cultural visibility and high-profile collaborations.
Kardashian and Hamilton met up at Estelle Manor last weekend.
The pair were reportedly seen together last weekend at Estelle Manor, an ultra-exclusive members’ club in Oxfordshire, before arriving in Paris as Kardashian promoted a Skims and Nike collaboration.
According to onlookers, Kardashian arrived at Oxford Airport for her rendezvous in the U.K. with Hamilton on her private jet, accompanied by security, before being driven to the estate. Hamilton reportedly flew in separately by helicopter from London.
The following morning, they were seen departing, and by Sunday evening, they had landed in Paris together.
A source said, “The sequence of events felt almost too seamless to be coincidental. You had the arrival by private jet, the stay at one of the most exclusive country estates in England, and then a swift pivot to Paris for a high-profile fashion collaboration. From the outside, it appeared meticulously arranged.”
Branding Power Play or Romance in the Making?
Hamilton co-produced the film ‘F1,’ starring Brad Pitt.
The insider continued: “They are both exceptionally media-savvy and acutely aware of how imagery travels in the digital age. Every arrival, every departure, every photograph carries weight. When two figures of that magnitude – each with carefully curated personal brands – are suddenly seen side by side at pivotal public junctures, it naturally invites scrutiny and headlines.”
Another industry insider added: “Partnering – romantically or otherwise – with someone who sits at the very center of fashion and entertainment would be an astute move from a branding perspective for Lewis. Kim has unparalleled reach in those arenas. That does not automatically invalidate the possibility of something authentic between them, but from a strategic standpoint, the alignment is undeniably powerful. Their worlds overlap in ways that are commercially advantageous for both.”
Lewis Hamilton’s ‘Obsession’ With Image Revealed
Kardashian promoted her Skims and Nike collaboration in Paris.
Hamilton himself has articulated his fascination with image and influence.
He has declared: “I lived vicariously through magazines, music videos, and films. The people I looked up to – it was Muhammad Ali, it was Michael Jordan, it was Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop, wearing that cool leather jacket. And then a little bit later, I started to learn about (jazz singer) Cab Calloway, (civil rights activist) James Baldwin, Nelson Mandela, and (fashion journalist) Andre Leon Talley. I saw how their image was so important to them, and how they presented themselves through fashion.”
In 2011, Hamilton parted ways with his father, Anthony Hamilton, and signed with media executive Simon Fuller, architect of “Brand Beckham,” signalling a shift toward cultural celebrity.
He recently co-produced the Brad Pitt film F1, co-chaired the 2025 Met Gala, and launched fashion collaborations, including a capsule collection with Dior’s Kim Jones.
Lewis Hamilton Accused of Starting Relationships That ‘Generate Attention’
Hamilton was previously been linked to Nicole Scherzinger.
Kardashian, meanwhile, has leveraged high-profile athletes to expand Skims, partnering with Jude Bellingham, Serena Williams, and Simone Biles.
A source close to her circle said, “Formula 1 is one of the last major global platforms she has not meaningfully entered. Kim has collaborated with athletes across football, basketball, tennis, and gymnastics, but motorsport remains relatively untapped territory for her brand.”
The source continued: “Lewis brings more than just sporting credentials. 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 alone opens doors and expands audiences in a way that would be difficult to replicate through traditional marketing.”
Hamilton has previously been linked to Nicole Scherzinger, Rihanna, and others, often amid speculation about the partnerships raising publicity for him.
“There has been a consistent thread of very public, very headline-grabbing connections over the years,” a former associate said. “He tends to gravitate toward relationships that naturally generate attention, whether intentional or not.
“In Lewis’s world, the boundary between private life and professional strategy has often appeared porous. The people he is seen with frequently occupy the same cultural and commercial spaces he aspires to dominate. That overlap makes it difficult to disentangle what is purely personal from what may also serve a broader narrative about who he is and where he is heading in the branding and business space, and Kim can advise him on both those.”
