F1 driver Lewis Hamilton has opened up about his passion for music and how it helps him find his groove in the fast-paced world of Formula 1. The seven-time F1 champion has also revealed why he doesn’t share his music with his fans and the broader audience.

Inspired by his father, who played in a reggae band, Hamilton picked up the guitar at the age of 13. He wrote his first R&B track, Never Again, at 21 and has been hooked on composing music ever since. The Mercedes F1 driver now carries his musical equipment wherever he travels around the globe.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Lewis Hamilton revealed the profound impact of music on his life, and how he utilizes the medium to express his feelings. The Mercedes driver added that he has no interest in releasing his compositions to the public, preferring to enjoy the creative process for himself.

“Music is the biggest part of my life. It’s the most important thing that keeps me sane.” the 39-year-old F1 driver said. “In a sport where you don’t feel like you could fit in, where you know you’re different, but you can’t really talk too much and there’s no way to express yourself other than in a car, to then have music and be able to put my feelings out into something.”

“No plans on ever giving [the songs] to anybody,” at least for now. “I never got into music, to put the music up.”

Lewis Hamilton made his recording debut under the pseudonym XNDA, featuring on Christina Aguilera’s 2018 Liberation album. He was featured on the track Pipe and confirmed his involvement nearly two years after the release.

Hamilton is set to move to Ferrari next season, joining forces with Charles Leclerc, a self-taught pianist with a keen interest in music. The Monegasque has also released several of his compositions to the public.

Lewis Hamilton reveals his favorite music artists

The veteran Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton had previously named rock and roll Hall of Famer Prince as his all-time favorite music artist and alternative R&B pioneer Frank Ocean as his favorite contemporary artist.

In the above-mentioned interview, Hamilton named several other artists including Wizkid, Coldplay, and Billie Eilish as some of his favorite artists. Lately, he has been grooving to Megan Thee Stallion’s single Mamushi, featuring Yuki Chiba. Here’s what Hamilton said about the song:

“It’s sick, I love that song. That’s probably the coolest track out there right now.”

Lewis Hamilton will be back in F1 action at the Azerbaijan GP, scheduled for September 13-15. With eight races remaining in the season, he occupies sixth place in the drivers’ standings.