It is widely known that Lewis Hamilton used to love indulging in radio-controlled (RC) car racing before taking up karting. The Briton once narrated an anecdote of one of his RC car racing events that gave his father Anthony a glimpse of his racing talents.
This was in a show called ‘Blue Peter’ where a six-year-old Hamilton was competing against much older folks than him. He recalled that he had to stand on two crates just to see the track where they were racing their RC cars.
“I was beating all these adults who you know, weird 40-year-olds who are racing these little cars,” Hamilton stated in a 2018 interview with Gayle King for The 92nd Street Y, New York. This is where his father first took notice of his good hand-eye coordination.
“My dad thought then ‘wow he has got a really good hand-to-eye coordination’. Maybe I think someone spoke to him about it and he was like maybe I will try him in a go-kart,” Hamilton recalled.
The then-Mercedes driver revealed how he had requested his father to get him a go-kart and Anthony fulfilled his wish on Christmas. It was a massive gift for the young Lewis, whose family went through several hardships to kickstart his karting career.
Hamilton’s early struggles in karting
While Hamilton got the go-kart as a Christmas gift, he revealed that it was a “fifth-hand” go-kart. His father did everything he could to make it look new for his son’s sake. Lewis also highlighted that his stepmother helped him by sewing his first race suit.
To celebrate Sir Lewis Hamilton’s birthday, we’re delighted to have one of his first karts on display here at the Museum!
Get up close to this fantastic machine where the F1 legend honed his craft as a 10-year-old!
Full video on our YouTube https://t.co/lU5YrzO5bj pic.twitter.com/kdCjetctZn
— Silverstone Museum (@SilverstoneIM) January 7, 2025
It was a rather humble beginning for the future seven-time F1 world champion. And even after that, he had to endure racism and discrimination on the karting track and in his school as well. Hamilton never really opened up about it even though the demeaning behavior affected his psyche.
However, he ensured that he rose above it and worked on his racing skills to become the best. Success followed through karting and that allowed Hamilton to take the step up to car racing. Later on, consistent dominance in the junior formulas just paved the way for him to fulfill his dream of becoming an F1 driver, and the rest, as they say, is history.
