Lewis Hamilton stool wrapped to ‘preserve his butt prints’ sells for over £500

Bringing up the rear tends to conjure a sense of dread in motorsport, but not for one Formula 1 fan who made a mint selling a stool sat on by Lewis Hamilton.

The seven-time world champion perched his prized behind on the plastic seat in between takes while filming a new ad for Mercedes sponsor Petronas. He and team-mate George Russell were also in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur to attend a Petronas 'Welcome Home Programme'.

Hamilton won the Malaysian Grand Prix in 2014, but locals have been forced to find new ways of honouring his legacy since the race was scrapped from the F1 schedule five years ago. That includes wrapping said stool in plastic to "retain the freshness" and preserve the Briton's "butt prints," according to the seller's listing.

The PVC prop was put up for sale on auction site Shopee by user Lima Bintang Auto Parts and sold for 2,888 Malaysian Ringgit (around £520). Two years on from his last visit to their shores, F1 fans in Malaysia were clearly excited to see Hamilton back in their presence.

Given few others are likely to have had the same entrepreneurial brainwave, the seller was perhaps justified to list the item as "very rare and limited." A picture of Hamilton astride the stool was also circulated online to help dissuade any notions doubting the authenticity of the throne.

The 37-year-old could perhaps use the distraction, too, following a poor start to the 2022 campaign. Hamilton sits fifth in the drivers' standings after managing just one podium finish in three races, placing third in the season-opener in Bahrain.

Where do you think Lewis Hamilton will finish in the F1 standings this year? Let us know in the comments section.

Hamilton will be targeting a first win of 2022 when the season resumes at Imola on April 24. Hamilton won the inaugural edition of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in 2020, while Red Bull star and titleholder Max Verstappen took the top prize last year.

Verstappen has been forced to retire in two of his three outings so far this year, while Mercedes' struggles are largely related to car performance. Having seen their seven-year grip on the drivers' title broken last season, the team are clenching their cheeks in a bid to stay relevant at the head of the field.

Hamilton garnered attention after he appeared to fume at his own team en route to a fourth-place finish at Sunday's Australian Grand Prix. Russell, meanwhile, took third to clinch his first podium finish since becoming a full-time member of the Mercedes line-up this year.

Troubles with 'porpoising'—an effect in which the cars bob up and down as a result of quick changes in downforce—have been a blight so far. Ferrari, meanwhile, lead the field in both the drivers pecking order and the constructors' championship.

Russell is second in the drivers' standings but is still some 34 points behind Charles Leclerc at the summit, with fifth-place Hamilton another nine points off the pace. Verstappen's own setbacks have also helped Ferrari leapfrog last year's top team to the front of the pack so far this term.

It's still too early to call, but Mercedes' struggles with their W13 design combined with Ferrari's fast start means the Silver Arrows may already be feeling the pressures of 'squeaky bum time'.

Source: Read Full Article