Story highlights
Lewis Hamilton set to feature in new Call of Duty game
Mercedes driver to play engineer in cameo role
He’s used to pushing his Mercedes car to the limit on the racetrack but Lewis Hamilton could be about to get his hands on an altogether more powerful machine – in the virtual world at least.
The F1 star has scored a role in the the new Call of Duty game, Infinite Warfare, which will be released early November.
Three-time F1 champion Hamilton looks set to play an engineer on board the spaceship Retribution which according to the script of game designer, Activision, is one of earth’s last remaining warships in times of “unthinkable adversity” as it battles a splinter group of fascist insurgents.
“It’s awesome to think I’ll be a character in @callofduty! Be sure to check out #InfiniteWarfare this November,” Hamilton tweeted late Wednesday.
In quotes carried by Wired Magazine, Hamilton added that he had long been a fan of the popular computer game series.
READ: Hamilton seeks ‘inner strength’ in title race
“The experience of being put into the game – from the facial scanning process to working with the team on the performance capture stage and just being able to meet the developers at the studio to get a glimpse at all the hard work that goes into the game – this has been an incredible experience,” he said.
Celebrity roles
The popular Call of Duty series is no stranger to celebrity starring roles or fleeting appearances from sporting icons.
Kevin Spacey played the ruthless president of a private military corporation in 2014’s Call of Duty offering, Advanced Warfare, while Game of Thrones star Kit Harington will take up the role of “fanatical enemy” Admiral Kotch in Infinite Warfare.
MME featherweight champion Conor McGregor will also feature in the game as one of Harington’s henchmen, according to reports.
Although excited by his own role in the futuristic action series, Hamilton’s mind will be on more earthly matters at the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, this weekend.
READ: Mission impossible for Hamilton title bid?
The Briton trails Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg in the drivers championship by 33 points with just four races of the season to go and has been criticized for his behavior when dealing with the media in recent weeks.
In a press conference before the Japanese Grand Prix earlier this month he appeared absorbed in his mobile phone, posting photos of himself and Toro Rosso driver Carlos Sainz Jr on Snapchat.
After failing to snatch pole from Rosberg in Japan, Hamilton then cryptically told reporters “I don’t really plan on sitting here many more times for these kind of things,” before walking out.
Keep on track with the rollercoaster F1 season with CNN’s The Circuit
Hamilton would go on to make a terrible start in Suzuka before climbing the field to salvage third position.
