LEWIS Hamilton is on the cusp of so many great things having clinched his record-equalling seventh Formula One title following a come-from-behind victory at the Turkish grand prix.
The Briton has made winning so routine that it is sometimes easy to forget his humble beginnings and initial struggles after clinching his first world title with McLaren in 2008.
However, his appearance in a profile piece on the covers of the US-based Autoweek magazine seems almost prophetic now.
Pic courtesy of F1i.com
When the 13-year-old karting champ was signed by one of Formula One's greatest talent spotters, and the then McLaren boss Ron Dennis in 1998, Autoweek immediately jumped on the opportunity to feature him in their regular column about young up and comers, “10 Secret People who will change your world including this 13-year-old driver.”
The magazine's racing correspondent Russell Bulgin wrote back then that “Hamilton isn’t bratty, precocious or obnoxious, he just sounds like a slightly old-fashioned race driver, a pint-sized old-fashioned race driver.”
Hamilton said that he had always liked remote-controlled cars and that he had always wanted a motorbike, but his dad thought it was too dangerous, leading him pick up karting.
“When we raced, dad thought that was quite good, so we just carried on.”
When Bulfin asked the rising star the secret to his racing success, he responded, “Stay consistent. I don’t know, um… always make sure that you give the mechanic – or your dad or whoever – enough information about the kart and just make sure that you go quicker and over the finish line first.”
On his setup preference, Hamilton expressed that he like it to be “just right so I can push and push without getting too much oversteer or too much understeer.” However, he also admitted that finding the balance is not an easy task to accomplish.
On whether he prefers to start from pole position and pull away, or start at the back of the grid in the pack and fight his way to the front, Hamilton’s response was, “Well, if I get a pole position, I like to pull away. But I like to start at the back and work my way up because I’m really good at going through the pack. I really enjoy racing everybody. When you’re at the front, everybody’s coming for you.”
At the young age of 13, Hamilton humbly shared that his friends do treat him like a superstar, but when it is time to put in the works for school, he switches gear. There is of course one course that he could not stand, which was French. Although he understands that F1 drivers need to know two languages, Hamilton thinks that “French has got to be one of the hardest languages. Nearly everyone around speaks English.”
Apart from the RM246,390 a year that he earned, McLaren also provided Hamilton with advise, “And just helping and guiding us along the way. We probably could ring up Ron Dennis to pick his brain, but we wouldn’t."
Although Hamilton only gets advice on women from fellow F1 driver, David Coulthard, they are good friends and always have a chat.
Hamilton’s heroes then were Schumacher and Senna, and his goal was exactly what you would assume.
“Driving in Formula One,” he said. “And standing on the podium in the first place as soon as possible.”
