The emergence of Lewis Hamilton into the Formula 1 circuit was marked by a record that lasted for almost half a century. Lewis Hamilton emerged as the youngest driver to have led the world championship at the age of 22 years, 4 months, and 6 days when he drove in the Spanish Grand Prix held at Barcelona in 2007. Finishing in second place behind Felipe Massa, the young driver beat Fernando Alonso, his teammate, in the points race. Lewis Hamilton broke the 47-year F1 record in the historic entrance and made this achievement official.
The pace at which Lewis Hamilton rose up into prominence in Formula 1 is nothing but astonishing. Hamilton had made it to the podium position in all the four races of his first season as a Formula 1 driver. In just four races, he managed to score a total of 30 out of the total 40 points.
A Record-Breaking Start That Changed Formula 1
Hamilton joined F1 back in 2007, coming into the sport with high expectations following his GP2 victory. Despite all that, nobody thought that he would come and fight for the title right from the start. However, he proved everybody wrong, claiming third position in Australia, followed by second positions in Malaysia, Bahrain, and Spain.
It happened in Spain as Alonso had made a mistake while battling Massa in Turn 1. The British driver remained calm and utilized this chance. This helped him claim two points at the top of the leaderboard, breaking one of the records held by Bruce McLaren since 1960.
The season concluded with a bitter defeat when Hamilton was beaten by Kimi Räikkönen on one point only. Nevertheless, his first season in F1 altered the public opinion about rookie drivers. The following year brought him success, helping become the youngest-ever champion of Formula 1.
Christian Danner Says Age May Be Catching Up
Almost two decades since that spectacular debut, Hamilton is now up against a new challenge with Ferrari. Ex-formula one driver Christian Danner thinks that the seven-time world champion may have hit his natural limits due to age.
According to Danner, even though Hamilton is still extremely competitive, competing with Charles Leclerc for the entire season is becoming harder.
Danner doubts whether Lewis can catch-up with Charles Leclerc, as he said “Leclerc is already state-of-the-art, a top-class driver, and at some point, you just can’t keep up anymore.”
He explained that older drivers can lose the instinctive “flow” that allows them to react without conscious thought. According to Danner, this is a normal phase late in a driver’s career, even for great champions.
Lewis Hamilton’s Hall of Fame Legacy
However, whatever is in store for him in the future, Hamilton has already cemented his legacy in the history of Formula 1 races. His career in this sport has been one of the most successful ever seen in Formula 1 with seven World Championships, having won 105 Grand Prix and broken many records along the way. He has been the first Black man to be the World Champion, using his fame to champion causes like equality, diversity, and environment.
Perhaps one of the most important moments in Formula 1 was his first win in the year 2007 when he broke a 47-year old record at the age of 22 years.
