PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: 'Secret new couple' Winnie Harlow and Lewis Hamilton party until 5am as they take their rumoured romance from London to NYC

Canadian model, 22, and British F1 Champion, 31, have been deliberately avoiding each other to avoid suspicion, according to new reports
Rumoured couple dodged a joint sighting on the red carpet at Tuesday's GQ Men Of The Year Awards in London, deliberately making separate exits
Lewis famously split from X Factor judge Nicole Scherzinger after eight-year on/off relationship in February 2015
Racing car driver has been romantically linked to Rita Ora, Victoria's Secret Angel Barbara Palvin and model BFFs Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid
Model suffers from skin condition vitiligo

By JASON CHESTER and BECKY FREETH and JJ NATTRASS FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 16:48, 8 September 2016 | UPDATED: 19:47, 8 September 2016

Lewis Hamilton partied into the early hours with rumoured girlfriend Winnie Harlow on Wednesday evening following claims they have been dating in secret for three months.

The pair partied up a storm at New York’s Up and Down nightclub after arriving separately in the early hours of the morning.

Canadian model Winnie, 22, caught the eye in an edgy Bob Seger T-shirt and thigh-skimming leather skirt as she entered the popular nightspot with a group of girlfriends shortly after the Formula 1 ace.

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Night out: Lewis Hamilton partied into the early hours with rumoured girlfriend Winnie Harlow on Wednesday evening following claims the pair have been dating in secret for three months

Together: The pair partied up a storm at New York’s Up and Down nightclub after arriving in the early hours of the morning

Lewis, who sported a colourful bomber jacket and black jeans, is believed to have parted with the up and coming star before leaving together at 4am.

The pair were seen making their way onto the sidewalk, with Winnie walking two paces behind the racing driver as they climbed into the rear of a waiting car.

It's understood that the couple made a beeline for 1OAK, staying for one hour before calling it a night at 5am.

A spokesperson has since insisted the couple are not romantically involved, telling MailOnline: 'Lewis and Winnie are just friends.'

Let's go: Winnie was close behind rumoured boyfriend Lewis during a late night out on Wednesday evening

Stylish: Winnie, 22, caught the eye in an edgy Bob Seger T-shirt and thigh-skimming leather skirt as she entered the popular nightspot shortly after the Formula 1 ace

Side by side: Despite arriving separately, Lewis and Winnie were seen leaving the club together after partying with a group of friends

The pair - who are both Fashion Week front row regulars and run in the same circles on the red carpet - are thought to be struggling to keep the fledgling romance under wraps,The Sun reports.

The rumoured couple both attended Tuesday's GQ Men Of The Year Awards, held at Tate Modern in London, but deliberately avoided each other to reduce suspicion.

According to The Sun, Winnie - who suffers from skin condition vitiligo - struck up a bond with Lewis in July but their relationship has recently 'stepped up a notch'.

Safe distance: Winnie remained two steps behind Lewis as they made their way towards a waiting car

Late night out: The rumoured couple were making an appearance at the venue shortly after attending the Good Music Pop Up Concert at Highland Ballroom

They're off: The couple left in the same car as the made their way to New York's 1OAK

A source close to the couple told the paper: 'Lewis and Winnie have known each other for a while and partied together in New York last year, but things have stepped up a notch recently.

'They didn’t want to fuel any suspicion at the awards on Tuesday so agreed to stay apart from each other and avoided getting pictured together.'

The two stars made separate exits but he was pictured walking towards a car not far behind her.

Talking point: Formula 1 ace Lewis chatted on his phone while idling on the sidewalk

Blossoming romance: According to The Sun , Winnie - who suffers from skin condition vitiligo - struck up a bond with Lewis in July but their relationship has recently 'stepped up a notch'

In good company: Winnie was joined by a group of pals at the New York after arriving shortly after Lewis

Low key: Lewis sported a colourful bomber jacket and black jeans for his evening out with the up and coming star

Good times: The insider claimed that 'Lewis is just playing the field, but he really likes Winnie'

After her car pulled away from the event, Lewis took only a matter of seconds to hop in his own motor, which seemed to head after Winnie's.

The insider added to the newspaper: 'It’s nothing serious at the moment and Lewis is just playing the field, but he really likes Winnie.'

MailOnline has contacted representatives of both Winnie and Lewis for comment.

Keeping her distance: Winnie Harlow and Lewis Hamilton were at pains to keep any signs of romance under wraps at Tuesday's GQ Men Of The Year Awards, held at London's Tate Modern

Playing it cool: The 22-year-old model (left) and the F1 Champion, 31 (right) made sure to keep well clear of each other on arrival at the star-studded bash, and upon their exits

Follow that car! After her car pulled away from the event at the end of the night, Lewis 'took only a matter of seconds to hop in his own motor, which promptly headed after Winnie's'

A wide berth: Another reason for her quick strut to the vehicle may have been the proximity of Lewis, who was only yards behind her

Hop in! Lewis quickly made his way to his own car, jumping in with gusto

Of course, Winnie wouldn't be the first model that Lewis has been linked to since he and X Factor judge Nicole Scherzinger put an end to their eight-year on-again/off-again relationship in February 2015.

Last summer, Lewis was thought to be at the centre of a love triangle between model BFFs Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid, who were reportedly to be 'fighting over him'.

He has most recently been linked to L'OREAL beauty Barbara Palvin, who is an ex-girlfriend of Justin Bieber.

Taking things up a notch? Lewis and Winnie (seen together here in New York) run in a lot of the same circles

Flirty display: Lewis and Winnie were seen putting on a flirtatious display on Snapchat

Making it official? The pair had no qualms about sharing their outing on social media

Fashion-savvy: The stylish sportsman will no doubt have plenty to talk about with Winnie

Pair of posers: The rumoured lovebirds seemed totally at ease with each other

Barbara and Lewis are thought to have met at Cannes Film Festival this year and she has since supported him at the trackside during the European Grand Prix, Monaco Grand Prix and Hungarian Grand Prix.

However a representative for Lewis has since insisted that the two are just 'good friends'.

Weeks before his tryst with Barbara, Lewis set tongues wagging when he was seen leaving British musician Rita Ora's London hotel.

They then reunited in New York after he enjoyed a wild summer holiday in Barbados with scantily-clad carnival revelers.

Lost love: Winnie previously dated Mariah Carey's ex Nick Cannon last year

WHAT IS VITILIGO?

Vitiligo is a long-term condition that causes pale, white patches to develop on the skin due to the lack of a chemical called melanin.

Melanin, which is produced by specialised skin cells called melanocytes, gives the skin its colour and protects it from the sun.

It's not clear exactly what causes this lack of melanin, but it has been linked to problems with the immune system and nerve endings in the skin.

Vitiligo can affect any area of the skin, but most commonly occurs on skin exposed to the sun, such as the face, neck and hands.

The condition varies from person to person.

Some people only get a few small, white patches, but others get bigger white patches that join up across large areas of their skin.

There is no way of predicting how much skin will be affected. The white patches are usually permanent.

Certain things can increase the chance of developing vitiligo, such as a family history of the condition or having another autoimmune problem, like an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism).

Vitiligo is not caused by an infection and it cannot be caught from contact with someone who has it.

In around half of people affected it starts before the age of 20, although it can occur at any age. Men and women are equally affected, as are people of different ethnicities.

Source: NHS Choices

Meanwhile, Winnie was linked Mariah Carey's ex-husband Nick Cannon, 35, last October.

Canadian-born Winnie was discovered on the 21st cycle of America's Next Top Model in 2014 after being discovered on Instagram by the host herself, Tyra Banks.

Winnie's distinctive skin condition, which is characterised by pale patches of white on the skin, was diagnosed at the age of four.

She has gone on to become a brand ambassador for casual clothing brand Desigual, alongside Victoria's Secret model Adriana Lima and last year starred in Beyonce's visual album for Lemonade.

Like fashion fan Lewis, she is regularly seen on the front row at shows for the world's most famous fashion houses.

Both Lewis and Winnie are expected to be in attendance at Kanye West's New York Fashion Week show this weekend.

Former flames? Lewis set tongues wagging during a series of sightings with Rita Ora this year (here in November 2015)

Love triangle? Lewis is thought to have found himself at the centre of a love triangle between Kendall Jenner (left) and Gigi Hadid (right) last summer

Just friends? Lewis and model Barbara Palvin (left, here in May 2016) are thought to have been seeing a lot of each other recently

Getting close: Sources close to the pair have insisted that they're just good friends

Fashion fan: Lewis is now in New York for Fashion Week, where it's thought Winnie will be too

Party hard star: The duo will no doubt run into each other during their time in NYC

Famous friends: On Wednesday night, Lewis was seen partying with tennis pro Venus Williams

Lewis Hamilton fails to keep romance with model Winnie Harlow under wraps at the GQ Awards

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Thursday, 8 September 2016

'Secret new couple' Winnie Harlow and Lewis Hamilton party until 5am as they take their rumoured romance from London to NYC

PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: 'Secret new couple' Winnie Harlow and Lewis Hamilton party until 5am as they take their rumoured romance from London to NYC

WHAT IS VITILIGO?