Lewis Hamilton looks back on the course of his F1 career. From the very beginning, when McLaren team boss Ron Dennis informed him that he would make his debut in the premier class in 2007, to the unprecedented successes at Mercedes. The seven-time world champion reflects on the opportunity he was given and the successes he has achieved – although numbers and statistics do not tell the whole story, as he explains.
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Hamilton made his F1 debut at McLaren after winning the GP2 title in 2006. During that year’s Italian GP, he was invited onto the grid, where then McLaren driver Kimi Räikkönen was on pole position. “I remember Monza 2006, I had just won the GP2 championship,” Hamilton told the press in Montreal. “Räikkönen was on pole for McLaren and I had the privilege to be on the grid. When I stood in front of his car, Ron Dennis put his arm around me. Looking at the first corner, he said: ‘I’m giving you a chance’.”
The British driver did not yet know exactly what that promise entailed, but in hindsight, it was the official confirmation of his F1 debut. “That was the moment. At that moment, I could hardly believe it and wasn’t sure if he really meant that I would get an F1 contract – I didn’t know exactly what that chance entailed. That was on my mind as I walked away. Later it became clear that he had already decided at that moment to give me a chance for 2007.”
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Definition of success
‘Since then, Hamilton has grown into one of the biggest names in the sport. In his debut season, he narrowly missed out on the title, but in 2008 he brought the top prize to Woking. After moving to Mercedes in 2012, he dominated the hybrid era and won six more titles. In 2025, he made the groundbreaking move to Ferrari. After a record number of wins and pole positions, Hamilton emphasizes that numbers do not define his success. “I’ve actually never thought about my definition of success,” he responded when asked. “I think success can be experienced in many different ways.”
For the Brit, it’s mainly about development and mental growth, rather than statistics or records. “I think it’s about waking up every day and trying again, always being better than your previous self,” he explained. “Become the person you want to be, overcome setbacks, prove critics wrong. Of course, the outside world only sees results as success, but inner progress counts just as much – if you make progress, you are successful. The most important thing is how you get up, how you move forward, and that you always keep looking ahead.”
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