Lewis Hamilton is arguably the greatest Formula One driver ever. The Mercedes driver has won everything there is to win the sport and is statistically the most successful of all time. Just like every driver on the grid, he too has a pre-race routine that he religiously follows.

Unsurprisingly his pre-race routine involves him listening to music. The Mercedes driver is a big fan of his music and is often seen listening to his favorite tunes before the race.

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In an interview with Ritz Carlton, he explained the reason behind his pre-race ritual of listening to music before getting into the car.

Lewis Hamilton explains why he listens to music before the race

The 7-time world champion mentioned that listening to music helps him in calming down his nerves before the race. He even mentioned that sometimes the music he listens to gets stuck in his head.

“When I get into the car, because I’ve been listening to music just before, I usually have a track in my head. There are all these nerves that you have, and [music] really helps me keep that out,” said Lewis.

Hamilton revealed what kind of genres of music he is into. Unsurprisingly, his playlist involves a bit of hip-hop, rap, and reggae artists that he enjoys before the race.

“It could be Stevie Wonder, Prince, Marvin Gaye, or Michael Jackson. Or reggae, hip-hop, or R&B. I’ll just look at my phone and decide what the vibe is that day. That’s the great thing with music — there’s something for whatever mood you’re in. It’s really the universal language,” said the 7-time world champion.

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It is interesting to know that the Mercedes driver has a very refined taste in music. The display list includes some of the most iconic musicians of the past century.

So it would not be a stretch to mention that some of his success on the track can also be credited to the music choices he makes before racing. There are a few other drivers on the grid who are just as big music fans. It would be fun to know their playlists and know what kind of music they listen to before the race.