Lewis Hamilton gets backing from Kamala Harris in surprising comments about F1

Democratic Party presidential nominee has expressed her love for F1 and her support for , revealing the -bound star as her favourite driver on the grid.

Harris is currently campaigning ahead of the presidential election, which is due to take place on Tuesday 5 November. The 59-year-old took over the mantle from incumbent president Joe Biden, who stepped down as the party's nominee earlier this year.

Speaking on a Howard Stern broadcast, Harris explained: "It's so good. We love it. Our whole family does." Asked if it was a "campaign thing", she hit back: "No. God no! No. Actually, I haven't been able to watch a lot lately because I am campaigning because you know depending on where they're driving, the time of day, you've got to wake up early."

Harris was then quizzed on who her favourite driver in the field was. "Lewis Hamilton, of course." Stern then revealed he didn't know who the seven-time world champion was, prompting his guest to continue: "Ah, he's leaving Mercedes... you don't know... you don't watch Formula One? Once you start... you should see it, you might get hooked."

In recent years, Hamilton has found his voice in discussing topical issues, gaining significant respect and support for his promotion of and commitment to progressive issues such as women's rights, racial inequality, and animal welfare.

Hamilton has also been pushing for more equality and representation within the world of F1 and at the centre of this campaign has been bringing the series back to Africa and restoring it to a true World Championship.

"We can't be adding races in other locations and continuing to ignore Africa, which the rest of the world just takes from. No one gives anything to Africa," said Hamilton earlier this season. There's a huge amount of work needs to be done there. I think a lot of the world that haven't been there don't realise how beautiful the place is, how vast it is.

"And probably they don't even know what the countries are doing still to those places in terms of holding back. So I think having a grand prix there will really be able to highlight just how great the place is and bring in tourism and all sorts of things."

Work is underway. Government minister Gayton McKenzie explained: "There's still a big fight at the moment, is it Cape Town or is it Joburg? That decision has not been taken.

"What I've done, I've told everybody to stand back. Let me handle it, because twice we've been hearing F1 is coming. I can tell you this, F1 is definitely coming. F1 told us they're keen to come, they told us what they need to come and we're going to give what they need for them to come."