F1 Racer Lewis Hamilton Changing His Name to Honor His Mother

Lewis Hamilton will have a new name very soon. While speaking at the 2022 Dubai Expo ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix, Hamilton revealed that he will be changing his last name to honor his mother, Carmen Larbalestier, per PEOPLE. The 37-year old said the change will happen "soon."

"I'm really proud of my family's name, Hamilton," he said, per Sky Sports. "None of you might know that my mum's name is Larbalestier, and I am just about to put that in my name."  Hamilton went on to talk about why women lose their names when they get married. "I don't fully understand the idea that when people get married, the woman loses their name." Hamilton also told Sky Sports that the change could happen as really as this weekend but isn't sure how to add his mom's surname to his. 

Hamilton's mom and dad separated when he was 2 years old. Hamilton would spend time equally with both parents when he was younger and has recently talked about both of them in previous interviews. "My mum was wonderful," Hamilton told The Guardian last year. "She was so loving. But she didn't fully understand the impact of the things I was experiencing at school. The bullying and being picked on. And my dad was quite tough, so I didn't tell him too much about those experiences. As a kid I remember just staying quiet about it because I didn't feel anyone really understood. I just kept it to myself."

In an interview with PEOPLE in 2020, Hamilton talked about the impact his father had on his career. "People see me winning these championships but I think the important story really is that father-son, or son of a parent, story which so many people across the world, in America and the U.K., can relate to, because we did it as a family," Lewis said. "I think probably every parent wants the best for their kids. My dad, he never went out. He never had new clothes. He wasn't saving up to buy anything new.

"Everything — remortgaging the house multiple times — went into go-karting, which sounds crazy. It is crazy, but he believed so much in me. He's the real hero, but obviously I'm the one that gets to stand on top of the podium at the end." Hamilton is the most successful driver in F1 history, winning 103 races and seven championships.