The seven-time world champion has previously made it clear he was a huge fan of the original 1986 Top Gun film, which Hamilton says left him fixat🎐ed on becoming a fighte𒐪r pilot as a child. 

Hamilton, who has enjoyed cameo acting roles in Zoolander 2, as well as a voice actor part in Cars 2 and Cars 3, was offered the chance to star alongside Cruise in his dream role as a fighter jet pilot in the hugely successful Top Gun sequel.

"Basically I'm a friend of Tom Cruise," Hamilton said i♚n an.  

"One of the nicest people you'll ever meet. He invited me to his set years ago when he was doing 'Edge of Tomorrow', and then we juಞst built a friendship over time.

"When I heard the second one was coming out, I was like, 'Oh, my God, I have to ask him'. I said 'I don't care what role it is. I'll even sweep something, be a cleaner in the back’🌜.” 

But Ham🍌ilton had to reject the opportunity when it emerged filming would clash with his hec🐲tic F1 schedule. 

"I'm a perfectionist,” explained the 37-year-old, who admitted turning down the role was "the most 🍃upsetting call that I think I've ever had.” 

A🎶lthough he is not set to appear in it, Hamilton is currently working on the script of an F1-themed Hollywood f꧅ilm he is producing alongside Brad Pitt. 

Sp𝓡eaking about the movie ahead of this year’s Azerbaijan Gran💦d Prix in June, Hamilton said: “It’s a really cool project. 

“I can’t necessarily say that all the racing mov🦩ies in the past have been spectacular, and that’s something we want to change.

“It’s really about show𒀰ing how great the sport really is to peopl𒅌e that maybe have never watched it, but also making sure that we really keep the real heritage and the true racing spirit within in the movie within the script.

“I’m very much invo𒁏lved in the script which is fun a🎐nd spending good time with Brad which is pretty epic - seeing his progress.”

Hamilton open to racing beyond 2023 

De𓆉spite his other interests in fashion, music and film, Hamilton has hinted he could continue to race in F1 beyond 2023. 

Hamilton’s contract with Mercedes expires at the end of next year but the Briton says he is “still on the mission” in F1 following his gut-wrenching title defeat to Max Verstappen last year and a difficult start to the current season.&n🍨bsp;

"I'll be lying if I said that I hadn't thougꦚht about extending," Hamilton said.

"I'm still on the miꦡssion, I'm still loving driving, I'm still𒁏 being challenged by it. So I don't really feel like I have to give it up anytime soon.”

In the same interview, Hamilton opened up about how his “worst fℱears came alive” in the controve🐟rsial 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi, admitting he was left in “disbelief” with how the race unfolded.