Lewis Hamilton recently opened up in an interview about how he was made to settle for a Ferrari despite wanting a better car. The Briton, who made his F1 debut with McLaren in 2007, also dreamt of having a car of the same brand. The 38-year-old wanted to buy a McLaren F1, which he eventually bought years later.
Speaking of the same in a recent interview ahead of the Monaco GP this past weekend, Hamilton said, “My dream car at the time I think was a McLaren F1“. On hearing this, his fans present at the venue cheered loudly.
Lewis talks about his cars at the #MonacoGP
“When I go back to my parents house I go and drive that round my old town and no one expects me to be in it” well now we know Lewis 🤣 pic.twitter.com/liATECDxNF
— Sir Lewis Hamilton Updates (@SirLewisUpdates) May 30, 2023
“I did not get the McLaren F1 until I was much older. My first car I saved up for was Ferrari,” explained Hamilton with a chuckle. The 38-year-old had bought a Ferrari 599 GTO; as the name goes, only 599 units were made for its purchase, but the Brit said he sold it long ago.
Hamilton reveals a hilarious reason why his dad helped him buy his first car
In the same interview, Lewis Hamilton gave a hilarious reason why his dad, Anthony Hamilton, helped him buy his first car despite stating otherwise initially. “I remember saving up for my first car. And I expected zero help from my dad as he said I am not going to help you. But he did help me in the end when I needed it because the insurance is pretty high being a racing driver,” he explained.
According to reports such as sportsunfold.com, the first personal car that Hamilton drove was a second-handed Mini Cooper that cost $23,400. As he explained in the interview, this is the car that his father helped him purchase. Soon after, he saved some money himself and bought a Ferrari 599 GTO, which he is believed to have sold sometime in 2017.
Lewis Hamilton purchased his childhood dream car in 2017
After a decade of success in F1 with three world championships to his name at the end of the 2016 season, Lewis Hamilton finally purchased his childhood dream car in 2017. He purchased the McLaren F1 car from Bonhams’ auction for over a whopping $15 Million.
With a net worth of more than a staggering $285 million, it is unsurprising that the Briton now holds some of the most luxurious cars in the world. The other expensive cars that he currently holds include a $2.2 million Ferrari LaFerrari, a $1.15 million McLaren P1, and a $2.72 million Mercedes AMG One, among several others.