Lewis Hamilton 'drowned many times' on F1 journey

Lewis Hamilton has revealed how he "drowned many times" during his early F1 career as he prepares to embark on his career with Ferrari.

Hamilton is starting his 19th F1 season, with the Australian GP being his 357th entry, with Albert Park being the scene of his very first back in 2007 for McLaren as a 22-year-old rookie.

Now 40 and a seven-time world champion, Hamilton is one of F1's most iconic figures and the second-most experienced driver in the history of grand prix racing, only behind former team-mate Fernando Alonso. 

Reflecting on his career thus far, Hamilton explained how he was thrown in at the "deep end" to start his career nearly two decades ago. 

"Looking back when I was 22 years old, I wasn't obviously mature, I had done all the homework in terms of how to drive a car, I had the natural ability but didn't have a lot of foundation around me," Hamilton told media including RacingNews365.

 "I didn't have a team around me as my dad and step-mum were booking my flights to come out here, and they are here this weekend, so it's been a long journey with them.

"But I didn't have any help prepping for something like this, it was just in the deep end everywhere I was and I drowned many times but as opposed to now, I am very comfortable in my skin.

"I know who I am, I know where I am going and I know what energy and time and effort I need to put into to get there, and at 22, I didn't know that.

"But what a roller-coaster ride it's been up until now and I am just incredibly grateful to be here and still have an opportunity, something that has been blowing my mind is that out of eight billion people, there's only 20 drivers in Formula 1 and I'm one of those drivers.

"It is a privilege to be here and have this opportunity to do what we do year on year. It is great to see the audience grow, have the sport moving in the right direction and Stefano [Domenicali] resigning, thank god he is staying because it is good to have a neutral good leader at the forefront of the helm."