Hamilton was 'special' when promoted to F1
Hamilton was 'special' when promoted to F1
Even though there were initial concerns that Lewis Hamilton was perhaps too young to make the step up through the ranks of Formula 1 and its junior series so quickly, former McLaren mechanic Marc Priestley has revealed that he instantly saw what was a "special" performer when Hamilton was promoted.
In Hamilton's debut season he had the task of driving alongside and competing with Fernando Alonso at McLaren, and though this may have proved daunting to some young stars, Priestley claims the Brit looked the real deal from the moment he came into the team.
"I worked at McLaren when there were stories that Lewis Hamilton would be promoted," Priestley told Autosport.
"He was not yet a Formula One driver at the time and was active in GP2.
"When we heard that he would most likely be promoted, we all thought he was not a little too young? And many people did not even know who he was.
"Upon arrival, it soon became clear that Lewis was a special boy. He was super young, but incredibly fast. The most extraordinary thing was that he immediately knew that he had to deal with the pressure.
"Sure, a number of things did not go well, but many things did. In his second season, he was already world champion, not many people can say that."
Hamilton would go on to win the championship in just his second season in Formula 1 in 2008, and in 2018 celebrated his fifth title which put him alongside Juan Manuel Fangio's tally, and two behind the record held by Michael Schumacher.
MORE: Renault 'a year away' from challenging top three
MORE: Gasly not going to be "second driver" at Red Bull
Change your timezone:
Latest News
F1 boss 'in early talks' to SELL 25 percent of team
- 1 hour ago
Will F1 hopeful Antonelli replace Sargeant from Imola?
- 2 hours ago
F1 News Today: Hamilton dealt major Newey blow as Red Bull chief makes BRUTAL admission
- 2 hours ago
Schumacher reveals how Mercedes could snare Verstappen
- 3 hours ago
Red Bull chief in BRUTAL putdown of key F1 feature
- Today 10:59
Cullen relationship blossoms with new star after moving on from Hamilton
- Today 09:59
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860