Lewis Hamilton‘s rookie season in Formula 1 was the stuff of legends. It is termed by many to be the best rookie season in the history of the sport. And there’s a pretty compelling reason for that, too. The then 22-year-old Hamilton was going to square off against the defending world champion, Fernando Alonso as his teammate at McLaren. Many expected it to be a humiliating whitewash in Alonso’s favor. However, in reality, the Briton outclassed the Spaniard throughout the season and even finished ahead of him in the championship on countback.
So here’s all that you need to know about Lewis Hamilton’s legendary rookie season in Formula 1.
When did Lewis Hamilton make his debut in Formula 1?
After an extensive junior karting career and successful stints in Formula Renault and Formula 3, Hamilton was signed up by ART Grand Prix for the 2006 GP2 (equivalent to today’s Formula 2) series. He won the championship on his very first attempt. With Kimi Raikkonen moving onto Ferrari in 2007, and Juan Pablo Montoya’s acrimonious split with McLaren, there emerged a vacancy for the young Briton.
Ron Dennis quickly signed the reigning GP2 champion up and Lewis Hamilton made his Formula 1 debut for McLaren alongside reigning F1 champion, Fernando Alonso during the 2007 F1 season at just 22 years and 288 days old.
His first race was the 2007 Australian GP, where he qualified in P4 and finished the race in P3.
How much did McLaren invest in Lewis Hamilton’s junior career?
McLaren signed Hamilton up to their junior driver program back in 1998. Since then, the Briton was under the guidance of legendary Ron Dennis who had managed the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell and Alain Prost before.
According to the now seven-time world champion’s biography, the iconic British team spent somewhere around $6,800,000 on the budding racing career of Lewis Hamilton. This investment paid off dearly for them, as Hamilton went on to win the 2008 driver’s championship and is to this day, remains McLaren’s last F1 champion.
Lewis Hamilton’s rookie year by numbers
Hamilton’s rookie season numbers are arguably the most impressive for a driver with virtually no experience racing such supreme machinery. That year’s grid boasted rivals like Alonso, Jenson Button, Felipe Massa, Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg, to name a few. Yet, Hamilton amassed a solid 109 points in 17 Grands Prix.
During the course of the season, he won 4 races, and stood on the podium an astonishing 9 consecutive times. What’s more, he completed 1000+ laps of racing whilst averaging P3 in Qualifying as well as in the races.
Where did Lewis Hamilton finish in the championship in 2007?
Only one driver has been able to win the Formula 1 world driver’s title in their rookie season – Alfa Romeo’s Nino Farina. We’ll have to take that record with a pinch of salt though, as he won the 1950 title, which was the very first championship season, and hence, every driver was a rookie! But Lewis Hamilton got really close to clinching that particular record for himself.
In the end, the Briton lost out to the championship by just one point. At the Brazilian GP, Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen claimed the crown as Hamilton and Alonso were tied on points. However, the Briton jumped his teammate in the standings on countback. Thus, finishing P2 in the driver’s standings in his rookie F1 season.
Who was Lewis Hamilton’s manager in 2007?
From the very beginning of the #44 driver’s karting days, he was managed by his father, Anthony Hamilton. Even after his debut in the sport, the Briton’s father served as his son’s manager. Hamilton formally ‘sacked‘ his father at the end of the 2010 F1 season, due to financial discrepancies.
How much was Lewis Hamilton’s first McLaren contract worth?
During his rookie season in Formula 1, Hamilton had a pretty handsome paycheck. According to The Guardian, Hamilton’s base pay amounted to $300,000 plus an additional $4,500 for every championship point he scored. Hence, after his 109 point haul, Hamilton earned around $790,500 from his entire McLaren contract.
Did Lewis Hamilton get a pay-rise after his meteoric 2007 season?
After seeing Hamilton obliterate the field in 2007, McLaren quickly tore up his previous contract to lure him into a multi-million dollar, long-term arrangement. Reportedly, the Woking based team offered Hamilton a 5-year deal in 2008 worth around $45,000,000 in terms of salary alone.
It had been 17 years since McLaren had an exceptional rookie like Hamilton in their ranks. However, in 2023, they arguably came the closest they’ve ever been with Oscar Piastri. The Australian made his F1 debut last year, finishing with a pretty solid haul of points and his maiden F1 win during the 2023 Qatar GP Sprint Race.
