Lewis Hamilton Defends Justin Bieber’s Controversial Coachella Performance Before Miami Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton‘s weekend off didn’t exactly look like a typical recovery day. While most F1 drivers spend a gap in the calendar somewhere quiet, Hamilton turned up in Indio, California, to take in Justin Bieber’s headlining set – with Kim Kardashian alongside him for the evening.

The Ferrari driver explained his schedule ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.

“I was testing the Thursday and the Friday so I got there Saturday evening and I just went to see Justin, went to see my brother. I’m so proud of him and how he performed. It was so intimate as well, was really amazing.”

Bieber took the stage on Saturday, April 11, headlining in front of the enormous Coachella crowd – his first show of that scale in four years, after cancelling his Justice world tour due to health issues.

He opened the 90-minute performance with 11 tracks from Swag and Swag II before moving into a stripped-down, improvisational interlude that unfolded onstage with a laptop and archival clips from his early career.

The Performance That Split the Crowd

Audiences and reviewers argued over whether Bieber’s performance was a clever statement on nostalgia or a lazy display of disrespect.

While some would have preferred a high-budget production, many long-time Bieber fans seemed more than delighted, taking to social media to commend the singer for his “healing” concert, packed with nostalgia.