Sir Lewis Hamilton has been part of the evolution of the long F1 seasons over the years. At 38, he is driving at a time when the seasons have the most number of races in the sport’s history. But Lewis Hamilton has been the most dominant driver in the sport ever since the turbo-hybrid era. Moreover, he became the most decorated F1 racer ever. Nobody has won more Grands Prix than the great Briton. He is the only driver to win more than 100 races in the F1 motorsport. Most importantly, he equaled Schumacher’s seven titles back in 2020. Lewis Hamilton narrowly missed out on winning his eighth title in 2021.
That seems to be the last time Hamilton came close to winning a title again. Moreover, Max Verstappen, who denied him the eighth title in 2021, went on to win a couple more titles in a row. Now, the Dutch driver is among the elite three-time champions in F1. On the other hand, Hamilton has been winless since 2022. Even then, Hamilton signed a two-year extension with Mercedes in 2023. He’s planning to drive until he’s 40 or even beyond then.
Why Lewis Hamilton Changed His Mind About Racing After His 40?
Recently, in an interview with BBC Sport, Lewis Hamilton mentioned it is essential to learn never to say never. He admitted there was a point when he felt he couldn’t continue longer. Generally, these F1 seasons are really long, making team members stay away from their families. Hamilton said he has been doing this job over 16 grueling years. He knows very well about the glitz and glamor that’s part of the job. But Hamilton says it is not at all easy to maintain the same level of motivation. Definitely, it takes a lot of commitment to deliver constantly and train hard everyday. It is a lot of pressure when there’s a lot of scrutiny, but there’s no way one can win.
At this point, Hamilton knows that he can only lose. Hence, he used to question himself if he wanted to go through with that. Anyway, as Lewis Hamilton heads toward his 18th season, he still feels the same love for driving and getting into the car. Moreover, Hamilton told BBC Sport that he always gets a smile on his face when he goes down the pit lane and there’s the crew around him. Finally, they start the car up, and Hamilton still loves it like the first day he drove.
Seven Incredible Titles For The Great Briton
Hamilton started his F1 career in 2007 and had one of the best rookie seasons ever seen in the sport. The great Briton missed the chance to win the championship narrowly in his debut season. But eventually, the former McLaren man won his maiden title in his sophomore season in F1. Since then, he has never looked back.
Later, in 2013, Hamilton joined the Mercedes F1 team, replacing the likes of Michael Schumacher. But the golden era of Lewis Hamilton in F1 started in 2014, as he went on to win six more titles in the following eight seasons. He did not win the titles in 2016 and 2021, albeit Mercedes won the constructor titles in both those years.
