Yuki Tsunoda sees Lewis Hamilton on an almost weekly basis now, but back in 2007, meeting him was a huge deal for the RB driver, who was just a child. He first encountered Hamilton at the Japanese GP, where he also clicked a picture with his McLaren car. Recently, Tsunoda came across that picture and admitted to feeling ‘crazy’ about getting to rub shoulders with the most successful F1 driver of all time.
That day when Tsunoda met Hamilton, was also his first-ever visit to an F1 track — the Fuji Speedway. “Yeah, it’s crazy how I am driving with him [Lewis Hamilton] still,” he said on the Red Flags podcast.
A childhood photo of Yuki Tsunoda standing next to Fernando Alonso’s and Lewis Hamilton’s 2007 McLaren MP4-22.
This weekend he’ll race them both at the Japanese Grand Prix. pic.twitter.com/8my0J0jAkL
— Formula Aerodynamics (@F_Aerodynamics) April 4, 2024
The hosts asked Tsunoda how he felt about competing against Hamilton and whether the huge generation gap ever intimidated him. Tsunoda admitted that it did, recalling that in 2021, he felt intimidated by Hamilton both on and off the track.
Thankfully, Tsunoda has overcome that phase, having spent four seasons in F1. Now, he sees Hamilton purely as a competitor. “Once we are racing, he is like one of the enemies,” the 24-year-old confidently added.
Hamilton and Tsunoda have never directly battled on the track because their respective teams are on different ends of the spectrum. Hamilton has been more towards the front, despite Mercedes’ struggles, helping him evade his fear of being defeated by someone born in 2000.
Tsunoda (born that year), is yet to find the right car to trump the 39-year-old. The Japanese driver would have to get in line, however, as there are many who are capable of defeating him with the right car.
Hamilton’s praise for younger drivers
When Hamilton started out, many of the F2 stars of today were in school and competing in karts. Oliver Bearman, Kimi Antonelli, Franco Colapinto, and Gabriel Bortoleto — all fall into this category.
They all grew up watching and idolizing Hamilton, and some of them, including Bearman, got the chance to fight with and beat him. At the 2024 Saudi Arabian GP, coming in as a last-minute replacement for the ailing Carlos Sainz, Bearman finished P7, two places ahead of Hamilton.
Hamilton, in turn, gave him a lot of praise, leaving Bearman elated. It was an honor for him to not just beat his hero on merit, but also receive his compliment.
Similarly, Colapinto had impressed Hamilton in Baku earlier this year. The Argentine driver kept Hamilton at bay to finish ahead of him, to earn the seven-time World Champion’s plaudits.
It would be interesting to see if they — or any other driver born in the 2000s — get the chance to battle Hamilton for a podium or race win.
