“I can’t afford it Lewis” – Anthony Hamilton reveals tribulations before Lewis became the global Formula One superstar

“I can’t afford it Lewis” – Anthony Hamilton reveals troubles his family went through to make Lewis the global F1 superstar he is now.

Lewis Hamilton, without refute, is the greatest F1 driver of all-time, at least statistically. The Brit won his 92nd F1 race by claiming victory in the Portuguese GP at Portimao yesterday. With this, he went past the record held by the great Michael Schumacher.

During the closing lap, Lewis’ dad Anthony Hamilton was seen recording the moment his son achieved history. He was then seen standing with the Mercedes crew during the podium ceremony, proudly looking at Lewis receiving the winner’s trophy and celebratory champagne.

Post-race, speaking to Sky Sports F1, Hamilton Sr. spoke about the hard work Lewis has put in to reach this incredible milestone. The journey from being a go-karting driver to the multiple F1 world champion he is.

“It means a lot for people to look at us and think ‘Wow! In 1993, those guys had nothing’. With just hard work and dedication, you’ll be surprised what you can achieve.”

“It was very emotional when Lewis came over (the finishing line). It was almost like a culmination of everything from when he first sat down and said ‘I want to go go-karting’.”

“I can’t afford it Lewis”

Anthony also spoke about how the family compromised on their financial capability to give Lewis a chance to achieve his racing dreams. He termed the winning mentality and instinct Lewis Hamilton clearly possesses “phenomenal, just phenomenal.”

“I was thinking ‘I can’t afford it Lewis’ but if you’re going to do it, you’ve got to do it seriously. And we’ve been doing it seriously ever since.”

“When he was eight, he was ‘I’m going to win this. I want to work really hard so I can win this’. He’s done the same thing with every race since. It’s phenomenal, just phenomenal.”

Read more: Anthony Hamilton: Man behind success of Lewis Hamilton; a sneak-peek in struggle before F1

“All I ever wanted for Lewis was to have a decent job”

Lewis Hamilton was born and bred in the small English town of Stevenage. And unlike some drivers we have in the sport now, he did not have the requisite financial backing to get into the sport. No wonder, Anthony Hamilton did not want more than a job for his son. He calls everything else his son has achieved “a bonus”.

“All I ever wanted for Lewis was to have a decent job. Everything else that’s happened has been a bonus”.

“We always want our kids to be happy, to enjoy their life, to be a good person. For me, that was the main objective. I’m just extremely proud that he has got a great job and become a great human being.”