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Ahead of the Canadian GP, Lewis Hamilton took to social media to share a captivating photograph of his first race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Hamilton, then driving for McLaren, took his first-ever F1 victory in the Canadian GP that weekend.
Making his F1 debut in 2007, the sixth race of the season in Montreal marks a milestone event for Lewis Hamilton. In the Canadian GP, the rookie McLaren driver bagged his first career pole position and managed to convert it into his first win on Sunday.
More than a decade-and-a-half later, Hamilton's victory tally on Circuit Gilles Villeneuve stands at seven wins, a record he shares with Michael Schumacher. Returning to his favorite track this weekend, the Mercedes driver shared a throwback picture to celebrate his achievements on the track.
The caption on his Instagram post read:
"Then and now - There’s just something about coming back to the place you won your first race. It always feels full circle. I can’t wait to fight this weekend. Can’t wait to make more Montreal memories CA"
Lewis Hamilton burst into the F1 scene with an impeccable record in the junior categories. In his rookie season, 22-year-old Hamilton teamed up with the reigning two-time world champion Fernando Alonso at McLaren.
Taking on the defending champion, Hamilton announced his arrival with a stunning drive in his maiden start, taking home a podium finish. In his first nine races, the Brit stood on the podium while scoring two victories.
He finished ahead of his teammate in the drivers' standings in second place and missed out on the championship by one point. Since then, Lewis Hamilton has never looked back, as he is now the most successful driver in Formula 1, with 103 wins and the same number of pole positions.
However, the Mercedes driver has not stood on the top step of the podium in the last 18 months, his longest-ever winless streak. Despite the rough patch, Hamilton is motivated to get his elusive 104th win on his favorite track.
Lewis Hamilton expects Max Verstappen to break his win record
Lewis Hamilton currently holds the record for the most wins in F1 with his current tally standing at 103. Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has already scored 40 wins in his career at the age of 25. He is one win shy of equalling Ayrton Senna's victory tally.
The Dutchman has hit a purple patch in recent years, amassing victories on every track he races at. Hamilton expects Verstappen to beat his record, reasoning that the Red Bull driver has a long career ahead of him.
The Briton said in a press conference on Thursday:
"He’s got a very long career ahead of him, so absolutely. Ultimately, records are there to be broken."
Hamilton's comments echo the words uttered by Michael Schumacher many years ago, who also predicted his 91-win record to be beaten someday.
