"He's fearless"- Gabby Thomas names an Olympic medalist who she thinks will be the 'best' F1 driver

By Animesh Pandey

Modified Oct 24, 2024 01:48 GMT

Gabby Thomas recently attended the US Grand Prix Formula 1 race held in Austin. The 27-year-old Olympic champion sprinter also took part in a Q&A session, where she opened up about her interest in the sport and engaged in some light-hearted banter.

During the session, Thomas was asked if there was someone other than her who could be a very good F1 driver.

"Noah Lyles could be a really good F1 driver", replied Thomas.

"He's fearless, so yeah," she added.

More questions about the motorsport were lined up for the 27-year-old, which included a question on the top speed that she could cover as an F1 driver.

"Fastest that I think I could go in an F1 car? Probably 317 kilometers an hour. I think I can place. I have it in me", Thomas cheekily replied.

Gabby Thomas also hoped that the F1 organizers considered Houston, Texas, as an alternative destination for the Formula 1 race driving. The triple Olympic gold medalist is enjoying her off-season after winning three Olympic gold medals at the Paris Olympics.

Thomas also finished a close second after narrowly missing the gold medal to her teammate and Olympic bronze medalist, Brittany Brown, at the inaugural edition of the Athlos NYC, an all-women's track league organized by co-founder of Reddit, Alexis Ohanian.

---

Gabby Thomas on her visit to the US Grand Prix and her fondness for Lewis Hamilton

Gabby Thomas at the US Grand Prix [Image Source : Gabby Thomas' Instagram]

Gabby Thomas made a visit to the US Grand Prix, where she was hosted by the Red Bull Racing team. The 27-year-old American sprinter is fond of seven-time F1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton and got the opportunity to catch him live in action. Hamilton's Austin outing saw an early ending as the Mercedes driver was forced to retire after the first lap after he 'spun off' the track.

Even though she couldn't watch her favorite F1 driver win the US Grand Prix, Thomas expressed her support for the Brit and said:

"I'm not really with a team in particular but I'm definitely a Lewis Hamilton fan."

Lewis Hamilton interestingly holds the record for the number of US Grand Prix titles in the history of F1 racing. He had stood third overall in the 2023 season and is reported to join the celebrated Ferrari team for the 2025 season.

Meanwhile, Gabby Thomas is enjoying her off-season to the fullest. She recently spent her vacation in the Maldives with her boyfriend, Spencer McManes. The Olympic champion also attended Vogue's Forces of Fashion, where she met pop star Nicki Minaj and presented the Fashion Fund Award.

Apart from winning the Olympic gold medal in the women's 200m event, the American sprinter also contributed to the victories of Team USA—the women's 4x100m relay team and the women's 4x400m relay team at the Paris Olympics 2024.