7 F1 Drivers – Every Formula One driver who commits to the game has the skills to adapt quickly, and they have a competitive nature. With this in mind, there’s no surprise that a number of high-profile F1 drivers enjoy the high-stakes world of poker. Here are just some of them.
Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton has been the British face of F1 for some time now, and there’s no denying his skills on the track. Currently, Hamilton has won seven titles, which puts him on a par with Schumacher’s record. However, it’s clear that younger drivers are starting to take the scene by storm, with Hamilton sitting in fifth position.
However, Hamilton also has a passion for poker and other casino games. According to Pitpass.com, he prefers to play online slots and poker games, as they provide much more convenience.
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso is a speed demon when he’s on the F1 track, and he has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race twice and managed to win the first Grand Prix for Spain. This is only a small selection of his accolades; he’s currently sitting third in the driver standings.
When Alonso isn’t putting the pedal to the metal, he has become well-known for playing poker and other casino games.
Giancarlo Fisichella
Giancarlo Fisichella, most commonly known as “Fisi”, had an incredible F1 career that started in 1996. He made his debut under the Minardi team after being the test driver the previous year. During his 14-year career, he took part in 231 races and won a total of three.
Even though this brilliant driver has retired now, his love for poker is well-documented. In 2009, he became the first F1 driver to represent a poker team, where he was employed by partypoker.com to promote online gaming. As well as this, Fisichella was the headliner for the F1 driver poker competition in Italy, which was televised.
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Robert Kubica
Polish F1 superstar, Robert Kubica, secured his first win in Canadian Grand Prix in June 2008 and has had an impressive career that has included 12 podium positions and a total of 274 points. Even though Kubica has made an exit from F1, he’s still very much involved in the racing world.
Driving isn’t Kubica’s only passion, as he’s also extremely interested in poker. Even though he has never claimed to be a professional, it’s reported that he used poker following an accident in 2011 because it helped to keep his mind clear.
Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen is taking the F1 world by storm and is currently sitting top of the standings. He is definitely the favourite to win.
His Red Bull team is currently sponsored by PokerStars, which sees him donning the game on his car. Although little is mentioned of his poker antics, it’s suggested by Grandprix247 that he enjoys the game.
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher is often highlighted as the best-ever racer in the history of the sport. Even those that do not agree with this agreement that he is at least the best racer to have ever competed for Ferrari. His Formula 1 accomplishment are incredible and specialists agree that he would have been even more special if he did not have the 2013 unfortunate accident.
With a career that achieved countless victories, Schumacher became a role model and an inspiration for many, including Lewis Hamilton who did say at one point he is the best F1 driver. In their spare time though, Michael loved to chase thrills, including those of poker games. Mr. Schumacher participated in countless poker tournaments and even played the game while he was at the racetrack, during the free time of course.
Jaime Alguersuari
Although retired, when talking about F1 drivers who love poker, we have to mention Jaimie Alguersuari. He went right after Giancarlo Fisichella’s moves since he became sponsored and took poker very seriously. Jaime’s main goal was simple: to promote the game of poker in Spain.
What is interesting is that Agluersuari’s poker career started at the tender age of 20. He did manage to show the world that even younger players can be quite successful when they are serious about the game. Jaime signed with Party Poker, a move that was made easy due to his popularity in the sport of Formula 1. This is when he highlighted a very important similarity between poker and racing as he said that in both, you have to be careful when you become aggressive.
Final Thoughts
Even though poker and racing are two worlds apart in some regards, there are a lot of similarities that appeal to world-class Formula One racer, whether it’s the thrill of the game or the need for mental focus.
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It is always a great idea to pick up games that are going to help you either relax or get some adrenaline in your life. Poker can help with both and it should be no surprise to see Formula 1 players picking it up.
