Lewis Hamilton: Dad told me to stay at McLaren
The pꦿrodigious Hamilton started with F1 career with McLaren, missing out on the championship by a single point in his rookie year, then claiming his first title a season later.
In 2013 he switched to Mercedes who﷽, at the time, were certainly no guarantꦦee of the glory that would follow.
“I remember the first race, I rem꧂ember the decision I t🌺ook to join this team,” Hamilton reflected.
“I didn’t let anybody influence the decision tha🍸t I took.
“I want🐻ed to make it wholly with my own judgement and no influence.
“You know,꧃ there 🍰were people that told me that I should stay at McLaren.
“My dad said stay, loads of people said stay.
“But something inside of me tol꧑d that this was what was right for me.
“I got to the team, had my first seat fiꦐt with Bono. People underestimate how long it takes to understand each 🌺other, to build up a friendship.
“Especial⛦ly that first year♓, I struggled with the car.
“We had a different type of suspension that I♌’d never had before. We struggled🌱 like crazy with it.
“But we did get a win…”
Hamilton’s victory a🍎t the F1 Hungariඣan Grand Prix in 2013 was his first for Mercedes, although he finished fourth in the F1 standings.
“If there was any doubt over decisionsඣ, whether I was right or wrong, this was confirmation that it was the right s🌺tep,” he said of his first win with Mercedes.
“It was great to get back ✃on the p♏odium and to solidify the decision that the team took.”
Hamilton would win the F1 championship in his second season with Mercedes, then would brilliantly𒉰 win six titles in a seven-year period.
His tot🦋al of seven titles is the all-time joint record, with Michael Schumacher, but Hamilton dreams of an eighth.
However, aged 38 and in a Mercedes car which lags behind Red Bull, his hopes f𒁃or this season are bl🗹eak.
His contract with Mercedes expires at the end of this season and it looks uncertain whether Hamilton will ever ꦅclaim the outright record with one more championship.
James was a sports journa🍸list at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything frඣom American sports, to football, to F1.
