Lewis Hamilton picks Wimbledon winner but very few Ferrari team members agree

Lewis Hamilton is backing Coco Gauff to win Wimbledon this year. However, the British Formula One star is at odds with most of the Ferrari garage over a pick that might not go down well in an Italian-heavy team.

Gauff is one of the favourites to win the women's singles tournament this year, having lifted the French Open for the first time earlier this summer. Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina are also among the top contenders. Hamilton has placed his faith in Gauff to win a second consecutive Grand Slam. But the 40-year-old perhaps forgot that the general rule at Ferrari is to support their Italian compatriots - with almost every other member of staff picking Jasmine Paolini.

"I'll be watching the women, and I hope Coco Gauff [will win]," Hamilton told Ferrari's in-house media team. Only one other member of staff predicted that Gauff will win. Thirteen said Paolini, while four opted for world No. 1 Sabalenka.

Hamilton is a fan of tennis and was recently praised by five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova for his work ethic. Speaking on the Armchair Expert podcast, Sharapova said: "At Formula One, I mean, what Lewis is doing ahead of a race. I actually was in Miami and I saw some of his sponsor responsibilities and I just couldn't believe the amount of events and interviews.

"And then how do you wake up and want to do your job? Beat someone when so much of your energy is drained? I think it just shows you when there is that individual and that star that wins over and over, how special it is because of everything else that they've also had to be responsible for."

Hamilton enjoyed one of his best weekends of the F1 season over the last few days. He came fourth at the Austrian Grand Prix and showed tangible signs of progress, having struggled to match team-mate Charles Leclerc so far this year.

To be the first to receive the latest Wimbledon news, join our WhatsApp community or Wimbledon newsletter

"Mega progress for us as a team, so we have to say a huge thank you again to the guys at the factory for bringing the upgrade this weekend. It didn't seem much on paper. It was really a small step, but perhaps it had a bigger influence on our performance," Hamilton said afterwards.

"For us to be the second fastest team this weekend, we're not a minute down from McLaren, which is positive. To bag some really strong points, I'm definitely happy with it."

Meanwhile, Gauff kicks off her Wimbledon campaign against Dayana Yastremska tomorrow.