With an illustrious 17-year F1 career behind him, Lewis Hamilton has nothing left to prove. But before he stepped foot into the pinnacle of motorsport, he encountered countless challenges, including racial discrimination. At such tough junctions, watching his father, Anthony Hamilton, work tirelessly day in and day out, changed his perspective.
Papa Hamilton worked several jobs to keep Lewis’ F1 dream alive. From an IT manager to a contractor to working 4 different jobs at one stage, he left no stone unturned. Lewis mostly stayed with his father after his parents divorced when he was 2. Anthony Hamilton was also his manager through the junior racing categories and into F1 before their rocky relationship led them to part ways professionally.
Speaking on the Performance People podcast about his early days in F1, Lewis Hamilton said, “I do remember a lot of those early days and the struggles that we went through, and the doubts. ‘Will we make it? Will we not?’ But whatever the situation, his father’s perpetual grind inspired him. “Also, just seeing my dad in the garage, just how hard he was working. I don’t know how they did it, to be honest. So I just then grabbed the wheels with both hands and like, every single time is an opportunity and I am not going to squander it.”
Their professional relationship might’ve turned ugly, but they remain on the best of terms. The 7x champ shedding tears on his father’s shoulders after his historic British GP win earlier this year should tell you everything. However, in his eyes, no racing feat beats the time he spent with his father in childhood.
Lewis Hamilton reminisces about the “best days” of his life spent with his father
Time and again, Lewis Hamilton has spoken about how tough his childhood was for him. Being only one of three kids of color in his school, he was bullied and always picked last in sports. Shockingly, the other kids also called him the n-word and threw bananas at him. But through all such cruel times, his father, Anthony, stood with him, and their bond blossomed beautifully.
“Looking back, those were the best days, through karting, through traveling throughout the UK, up north into the cold, sitting back in the back of the trailer, you know when it’s scruffy,” Hamilton said. “Just the smell of the fuel and the tires and everything, I was helping my dad mechanic. So those, as a kid, were the best days because you feel like you’re doing something with your dad and that’s like a bonding experience,” he added.
Today, Lewis Hamilton is a role model for kids, irrespective of their backgrounds and dreams. A global icon in its true sense. The 7x champ has an unparalleled 105 race wins to his name and has won championships for both teams he has driven for – McLaren and Mercedes.
Even at 39, he is as motivated as ever and has the performance to back it. In 2025, if the trend continues with Ferrari, he will officially become F1’s most successful driver ever with 8 championships (or more) to his name. Got goosebumps just imagining this!
