With seven world championships to his name, Lewis Hamilton has undoubtedly established himself as one of the best F1 drivers of all time. Few doubted that the Briton would be a success in the sport after he took the fight to double world champion Fernando Alonso in his rookie season in 2007.
Hamilton finished an outstanding second in the championship with 109 points, level on points with McLaren teammate Alonso and just a point behind eventual champion Kimi Raikkonen. Even though many had predicted that Hamilton was destined for success in F1 ever since this moment, he never thought of it this way.
The 38-year-old revealed how he was desperate to get in the good books of McLaren team principal Ron Dennis as soon as he joined F1 in 2007. Hamilton revealed that he feared that even a single mistake from his side could drop him down the pecking order.
‘I was nervous everyday’: Lewis Hamilton on early McLaren days
In an interview with Fox Sports Australia, Lewis Hamilton stated that while he was confident of making it to F1, he was yet extremely nervous when he got to the top tier. He explained how he always pressurized himself to deliver during his early days at McLaren.
“I was working on always trying to make sure I kept my deal with McLaren. I wanted to stay in the good books with Ron,” he explained. The 38-year-old then also went on to add that he was so anxious that he thought he could lose his job if he got anything less than a victory.
While Hamilton may have pressurized himself to deliver during his McLaren days to ensure that he kept his job, it is this mentality that has also got him so far in F1. Along with his joint record of seven world championships alongside the legendary Michael Schumacher, the Briton also holds almost every other top F1 record.
Hamilton’s staggering records in F1
Lewis Hamilton holds the record for not only the most number of podium finishes (192) but also the record for the most number of pole positions (103) and wins (103). He has won 12 more races than Michael Schumacher and almost double the races third-placed Sebastian Vettel (53).
Another impressive record that the 38-year-old holds is that of most race wins in his rookie season (4). These are just a few of the many records that the Briton has clinched over his illustrious career. And considering that Hamilton is still going strong, there is the possibility that he achieves the unthinkable record of eight world titles.
