With seven world championships and a record 103 Grand Prix wins, Lewis Hamilton has seen the highest of highs in the world of F1 standing as the most successful driver in the history of the sport. The Briton has seen himself be a part of some glorious moments in the sport, but only one tops them all. Appearing in a YouTube video for Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, answering questions from fans, the 38-year-old revealed the day he entered the F1 grid was his favorite career moment.
The road to F1 was harder for Hamilton than others, given his racial background. Wherever he and his father went, they would be the only black people present, leading to them receiving racial abuse from the others present around them. In fact, Hamilton kept facing a lot of adversity due to racism, even after he made it big in F1.
Furthermore, Hamilton’s father took up as many as four jobs at a time to ensure his son could continue racing. As such, finally making it into the sport stands as his favorite moment.
“There were so many dark and tough moments where we really thought it was it, and it never going to happen. And we just never gave up.”
Hamilton further detailed the emotions that ran inside him after winning his first-ever Grand Prix and looking at his father from the top of the podium. He felt like all the late nights he and his father put in, all the traveling they did, and the adversities they faced were worth it.
Lewis Hamilton owes his success to his father
Hailing from a modest family, Hamilton never had the means to pursue his love for racing freely. However, Anthony Hamilton was always by his side to ensure there was no shortage of means for the young enthusiast to pursue his dreams.
He would never buy anything for himself, not even new clothes. Every penny went to Hamilton’s karting career. Hamilton Sr. had so much faith in his son that he even remortgaged his house a few times to ensure a smooth flow of finances into the career of Hamilton Jr.
Following a record-equaling win for the 7th world title in Istanbul in 2020, all Hamilton could think about was his father. How they sang ‘We Are The Champions’ after winning the first championship, and how they faced all the struggles to be where they were. It all became too emotional for the Briton. He added he hoped his father was watching him celebrate the victory and think it was all worth it in the end.
