All I ever wanted was for Lewis to have a decent job, says Hamilton's dad Anthony

Anthony Hamilton has hailed son Lewis’ record-breaking Formula 1 achievements as “just a bonus” because all he ever wanted was for him “to have a decent job.”

Hamilton, who first took Lewis racing at Rye House go-kart track in 1993, was standing above the pits at the end of Sunday’s Portuguese Grand Prix recording the moment the Mercedes driver secured the all-time F1 wins record with his 92nd.

“It means a lot for people to look at us and think 'Wow! In 1993, those guys had nothing'. With just hard work and dedication, you’ll be surprised what you can achieve," said Anthony Hamilton, speaking to Sky Sports F1.

“It was very emotional when Lewis came over [the finishing line]. It was almost like a culmination of everything from when he first sat down and said ‘I want to go go-karting’.

"I was thinking ‘I can’t afford it Lewis’ but if you’re going to do it, you’ve got to do it seriously. And we’ve been doing it seriously ever since.

“[It is] Just the whole mental thought process that goes into racing. When he was eight, he was ‘I’m going to win this. I want to work really hard so I can win this’. He’s done the same thing with every race since. It’s phenomenal, just phenomenal.”

Hamilton, who grew up in Stevenage, did not have the financial backing of many other drivers coming up through the sport, but with that dedication and hard work, it has led to success in F1 that has turned him into a global superstar.

Hamilton Sr revealed, though, that "all I ever wanted for Lewis was to have a decent job. Everything else that’s happened has been a bonus".

He added: “We always want our kids to be happy, to enjoy their life, to be a good person. For me, that was the main objective. I’m just extremely proud that he has got a great job and become a great human being.“

Before you go...

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