Lewis Hamilton has revealed the key piece of advice he would give to his younger self at the time of his F1 debut. The Briton arrived into Formula 1 as a rookie with the McLaren team in 2007, with his first race start coming at the Australian Grand Prix. Hamilton finished that event in third place, and can still recall the emotions he felt at having achieved his goal.
Hamilton recalls F1 debut
"I remember the start," Hamilton told Australian broadcaster Fox Sports . "I had one of the best – if not the best – opener of a race that I've ever really had, and then [I] almost had a second [place result] in my first race. "Just coming out the garage, I remember seeing my dad and we just couldn't believe it. [We were] kind of pinching ourselves. "It was such a long journey, and there were so many times where we we doubted ourselves. There were so many times we didn't know whether it was going to happen. "There were so many tears and emotional outbursts, and then just so much perseverance and determination from us as a family, then to be in the paddock. "Once I was on track, we knew it was real because, up until then, it could have been taken from us at any point."
The advice Hamilton would offer his younger self
Since then, Hamilton has gone on to become one of the most successful Formula 1 drivers of all time, with seven World Championships and 103 race wins to his name. If he was able to go back and give his 2007 rookie self some advice, the 38-year-old admits that he would not want to change how his debut unfolded but would focus on having some fun alongside the hard work. "I wouldn't change it, so I wouldn't really want to go and say anything," Hamilton explained. "I think if I could go back and talk to my younger self, [I would say to] not take things too seriously, or take yourself too seriously. "I think I got so caught up in the intensity of wanting to be perfect and racing, racing, racing, racing, I completely secluded myself from the fun things in life that are along the journey at the same time. "So I would say, 'Have fun with it'. I guess I was still for a long, long time living with the idea that it could always be taken away from me, and I lived in that way for a long, long time. "But I don't think that's a bad thing. It just keeps you on your toes and keeps you working, right? It keeps you honest."
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