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<\/p>\nPeople would pay good money to see Lewis Hamilton strip – but the Mercedes star once handed fans a show for free.<\/p>\n
Hamilton was in a giving mood after hoovering up his fifth Formula 1 world championship in 2018, and he ended the season in style by topping the podium at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Never one to miss an opportunity, the 38-year-old lapped up the limelight for the last time that year before going topless in front of the masses.<\/p>\n
The display wasn't entirely without purpose, however, as the Silver Arrows star later revealed his reasons for the unravelling. And it was with the intention of drawing attention to one particular tattoo splayed across his back.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: <\/b>Michael Schumacher health question 'always gets the same answer' from F1 reporter<\/b><\/p>\n
READ MORE: <\/b>Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff aims fresh Michael Masi jibe ahead of Abu Dhabi GP<\/b><\/p>\n
"I\u2019ve always wanted to do it," said Hamilton when asked about his celebratory strip. "I wanted to show \u2018Still I Rise\u2019, and I think it was the perfect moment because that\u2019s really how it\u2019s been this year."<\/p>\n
The racing icon is covered in body art and has the phrase 'Still I Rise' tattooed above a giant cross sprouting angel wings on his back. Although Hamilton has accumulated a heft collection of ink over the course of his career, he appears particularly proud of the messaging associated with his signature piece.<\/p>\n
What do you think is the most iconic podium moment in F1 history? Let us know in the comments section below.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
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Hamilton won two more titles in succession following his 2018 triumph before Max Verstappen started his reign of dominance for Red Bull. The Dutchman had already clinched a third straight world championship of his own prior to Sunday's Abu Dhabi GP, which brought the curtain down on a disappointing year for Hamilton and Mercedes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really would encourage anyone who doesn\u2019t know what \u2018Still I Rise\u2019 is, it\u2019s a poem, please go and read it,\u201d added Hamilton. \u201cIt applies to anybody who\u2019s stumbling and falling.<\/p>\n
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\u201cLike Billy Monger, he\u2019s been an inspiration to me this year, which I\u2019m sure he\u2019ll find really strange because he probably looks up to me in the sense that he wants to be in Formula 1. But what he\u2019s done, and so many people who\u2019ve gone through difficult times, that\u2019s really what \u2018Still I Rise\u2019 is all about. I\u2019m trying to be as big a spokesman I can be about it. So that\u2019s really why I did it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Silver Arrows know their superstar will be back in the driver's seat for 2024, but Hamilton may need to take some of his own advice after finishing third in this season's standings. The veteran needs just one more world title to finally overtake Michael Schumacher's joint-record of seven F1 crowns, but Mercedes' engineering may not be sufficient to get him across the line.<\/p>\n