Lewis Hamilton made his F1 debut in 2007 with McLaren, starting on a contract that paid him a base salary of $435,000. However, after a brilliant debut season where he finished joint runner-up behind Kimi Raikkonen by just 1 point, McLaren saw a future World Champion in him and offered him a contract worth almost $13 Million.
As per the biography Lewis Hamilton: King of the Grid by Ian Stafford, Hamilton admitted that his father had a huge role to play in the success he had achieved till then. Hamilton said, “I owe everything to my dad. We’re a team.”
McLaren managed to secure the services of Hamilton on a five-year-long deal, protecting him from the prying eyes of the other teams, who would have been quite interested in signing up the young talent after his once-in-a-generation season in 2007. McLaren’s decision paid well for them as Hamilton would go on to win the 2008 World Championship title.
2/ Hamilton’s breakthrough came in 2007 when he made his Formula 1 debut with McLaren. In his rookie season, he showcased his exceptional skills, battling against his teammate Fernando Alonso and other seasoned drivers. pic.twitter.com/v6q0pFFY4m
— majkfit (@majkfit) July 23, 2023
Though McLaren had a good eye in identifying Lewis at a very young age and giving him the required funding and guidance to rise through the junior ranks. However, it was Anthony, who first believed in his talents, and toiled for years to make his son one of the greatest of all time.
How did Anthony Hamilton create an F1 legend?
During Lewis’ younger days, his father gave his everything to support the now Mercedes star’s racing career, even going to the lengths of doing three jobs simultaneously at a point in time.
According to Anthony Hamilton, there were times when the family had to rely on credit cards and overdrafts because all of his earnings were going into sustaining Hamilton’s career.
Anthony Hamilton is such a goated dad! I always remember when he said “I believe that my son, @LewisHamilton , will be the greatest driver to have ever graced that sport”.
Man manifested his son’s greatness pic.twitter.com/R8CsSuGR4e
— Hamilton Insights (@LH44_insights) November 3, 2022
Fortunately, all the hard work paid off as Lewis went on to become the most decorated driver in F1 ever. In 2021, the seven-time world champion recorded 103 victories, he’s the only driver to be in the 100-win club.
Meanwhile, his exceptionally consistent performances have rewarded him with all the riches. The 38-year-old is among the highest paid athletes in the world.
