Opinion: Big name, crazy idea – Lewis Hamilton in World Superbikes

It isn’t such a rare item to see motorsport personnel change sports and have a drive or ride as a test in their corresponding sport, but it isn’t every day you get the top names from championships take a switch – let alone multiple world champions.

However, Lewis Hamilton broke that barrier for the first time in years in F1, leaving four wheels for two as he jumped aboard a motorcycle at Jerez. Surprisingly, it was a World Superbike Yamaha that he rode, not the glistening, dizzy heights of a MotoGP prototype machine. Now, I am not understating World Superbikes in any way, shape or form but it is now considered as a second-class championship in relationship to MotoGP. But Lewis Hamilton’s fame, personality and charisma could be all it needs, and no, I am not talking about a full-time switch as a rider either…

World Superbikes will be enjoying a little bit of a renaissance in 2019, with big names listed, popular manufacturers returning and circuits being reinstated on the cards too. Not just all of that but attendance grew in 2018 too, with Thailand, Argentina and Italy (Imola) achieving the highest Sunday figures of the year, bordering on 40,000. The Argentine round saw more than 80,000 entries across the weekend, the second highest weekend attendance since Dorna took over – behind only Thailand’s debut in 2014. But more can be done, if we utilise Lewis Hamilton’s commercial value.

Brands are eager to be apart of world championship that are exciting and entertaining, with big names and bold characters. World Superbikes has bits of that and with it’s somewhat timely regrowth, a name such as Lewis Hamilton in the championship would only increase it’s credibility on the world stage. But if I don’t mean as a rider, then what do I mean?

I mean as a team owner, someone with a business brain and the understanding of just how big the world stage can be. Someone with success in abundance, which is propelled by talent in great quantity. Not just any F1 champion but arguably the most exciting driver in the current age and a drivers with one of the best set of statistics in the history of the sport. More importantly, he is a household name in the UK and for a motorsport name to have that status in Great Britain goes a long way. To associate that with motorcycle racing in ANY capacity, would put a ‘minority sport’ in the real spotlight.

So how could Lewis Hamilton get involved with WSBK team ownership. He’s already developed a brand new MV Agusta and with the Italian manufacturer’s future looking uncertain in the championship, maybe he could spearhead that team to a revival and then on to stunning things. Big backing and development resources, upping the glamour of World Superbikes and maybe drawing one or two struggling – but popular – Grand Prix stars across to run under the ‘Lewis Hamilton Racing’ banner – or LH44, whatever you fancy – may just be one unexplored avenue to look at.

If MV Agusta were to leave the sport, then what about Yamaha, seeing as they have given the 5-time F1 champion a test at Jerez? With the Crescent Pata Yamaha World Superbike Racing team owner Paul Denning saying ‘he really can ride’, surely Yamaha would be keen on partnering up with Lewis Hamilton in the future? Team ownership requires a business attitude, not necessarily the high ability to ride a motorcycle at a competitive level.

Just having Lewis Hamilton in the paddock would bring eyes, cameras and a s**t load of money to the series. And whilst money doesn’t bring more people to the track, more cameras and coverage can mean reaching a bigger audience, which then brings more money. Therefore, World Superbikes can grow bigger and be the perfect alternative to prototype racing – just like it was 10 years ago.

Is there potential for Lewis Hamilton F1 status in WSBK to go wrong? Yes, there is. ‘His management’ would probably frown at it like they did when HE wanted to ride a Yamaha in Barbados, citing ‘insurance purposes’ as a potential obstacle. But not just that, but there is Lewis’ fame itself. Yes he is a star but with that comes an element of inaccessibility and prestige – which isn’t always a good thing when you are wanting to create the ultimate fan experience, which WSBK organisers are successfully doing right now. Finding the commercial and accessibility balance is hard in all forms of motorsport.

One other negative of a potential move to WSBK for Lewis Hamilton (in whatever capacity) is that it partially takes away making stars on track and instead, replacing them with stars off-track, which is a bit of an insult to some World Superbike riders who have a massive amount of character and talent (hello, Jonathan Rea). World Superbikes needs it’s own Lewis Hamilton – not the actual Lewis Hamilton. No-one likes a copy but everyone likes originality.

So, what have we learnt here? Lewis Hamilton is a phenomenal talent and has a place in other forms of motorsport, however, if he was to enter the World Superbike paddock then his fame would have to be used right. His AND WSBK’s commercial value would have to work together instead of one or the other. It is exciting enough that he is testing a Yamaha Superbike but instead of one-off headlines from a superstar, let’s have a superstar in Superbikes and make WSBK come back to life in a big, big way.