Hamilton uncovered   

F1 Retro – March 2019

As Felipe Massa builds a legal challenge to Lewis Hamilton’s debut F1 title in 2008 – the Brazilian claiming that season’s Singapore ‘Crashgate’ directly contributed to the then-Ferrari man losing the championship – it highlights that 15 years have now passed since F1’s most successful driver won his first GP crown.

In March 2019, Mark Hughes spoke to some of the people that know Hamilton’s racing psyche best, including Ross Brawn, Paddy Lowe, Jock Clear, Hamilton’s former manager Marc Hynes and karting arch-rival Fraser Sheader.

Even though Hamilton was two years younger when he took on then 15-year-old Sheader – himself a multiple champion – he says it was no surprise that the young phenomenon was immediately quick: “He was already a superstar. I’d watched him since he was an eight-year-old and had immense respect for him. The really good ones are instantly competitive, have that feel.”

Hamilton’s incredible skills on the track then built huge confidence for an F1 superstar – as Clear attests. “Lewis, more than any other driver I’ve known, has 100% belief in his ability as the best, and when things go wrong he returns to that belief – it never wavers.”

Paddy Lowe concurs while highlighting another defining characteristic: “He’s at his best when the pressure is on.”

To read the full story click here