Racing with number 44 ever since the start of his career, Lewis Hamilton reveals the number 44 importance and its historical connection.
Lewis Hamilton’s connection with number 44 has always been a mystery to his fans and people that work close with him. He has been using ’44’ ever since his karting days, but the story of this number goes beyond just racing.
Many F1 drivers have a history with certain ‘lucky’ numbers that they chose as a sign of fortune. For instance, the number 5 was used by the likes of Sebastien Vettel, Micheal Schumacher, and Nigel Manson as a lucky charm which they believe to be a reason for winning various F1 championship titles.
Thus, Lewis Hamilton is also a driver who believes in lucky numbers. The British driver has been using the number ’44’ since the start of his karting days when he was eight. And now, after winning the championship seven times, he still prefers to put ’44’ on his car.
When questioned about the number’s history, the Englishmen revealed that it was his dad’s car registration number which was a red Cavalier that used to cost $14,600. Talking to PETRONAS Motorsports, He said, “When I started racing when I was eight, the number plate on my dad’s car – he had this red Cavalier – was F44,”
Moreover, Hamilton also mentioned that it was his dad’s idea which after became their family legacy number. “So he used 44 – it was his idea. And then it became the family’s lucky number,” he added.
Also Read: 4-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel might have stayed in F1 if Aston Martin won races
Why 44? why not no. 1?
In an interview with BBC via RacingNew365, when asked why he didn’t choose the no.1 for his car, he mentioned a mental reason behind not choosing it.
He said, “Of course, each year I start, it’s a new fresh start for everyone. I always start with number 44 because that’s the number I had on my go-kart at eight years old.”
The number 44 has always been a great good luck charm for the Brit, and it being family legacy has solidified that belief. Whilst driving his car with 44, Hamilton has marked himself as one of the greatest racing athletes in the world.
Will Hamilton ever change it?
Lewis Hamilton using 44 as his go-to number for the car has certainly cemented great results. Mercedes driver has won six F1 world championships out of seven since using the 44.
When looking at the history and the impressive results, Hamilton isn’t looking to change his ‘lucky’ 44. He still has some years in F1 and is a loyal Mercedes employee. He still has a hunger for winning championships.
Also Read: Red Bull chief Adrian Newey’s $10 million salary points towards big problems
