Lewis Hamilton has recalled the moment he was told of his promotion to Formula 1 by then-McLaren boss Ron Dennis, now 20 years on.
The seven-time World Champion was called up to partner Fernando Alonso for the 2007 F1 season, having briefly lost a junior deal with McLaren in 2005.
Ron Dennis, the team principal at the time for McLaren, told Hamilton on the grid at the 2006 Italian Grand Prix that the team would choose him to partner Alonso for the 2007 season.
Hamilton had just secured the GP2 [now Formula 2] title on his first attempt, despite having wanted to enter the series the year before, in 2005. However, Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren chief operating officer, revealed in 2020 that he had a “huge row” with Hamilton’s father, with the team believing another year in Formula 3 would be better for his development.
“Lewis was getting a bit of traction and his father felt there were other options,” Whitmarsh told the BBC. “In the end, I took the contract out and tore it up.
“It was about six weeks before Lewis rang me and we re-signed.”
Lewis Hamilton dubs McLaren contract loss ‘one of the most challenging periods of my life’
Hamilton continued for another year in Formula 3 with ASM, which was founded by current Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur. When he moved up to GP2 in 2006, he raced for ASM’s sister team, ART Grand Prix.
At the Dutch Grand Prix last week, Hamilton recalled his longstanding relationship with Vasseur and detailed the period in which he was worried he had lost his McLaren opportunity.
“I worked with Fred obviously in Formula 3, 2005, I think it was,” he told media, including Motorsport Week.
“It was an interesting period of time for me and my life. I was obviously, as every young kid [was], in a rush to get to Formula 1, hoping that I could potentially get there, and never knowing when that chance would come and I would call Martin Whitmarsh every week, asking him when I can get in the car.
“So, in 2005, when GP2 came out, I was pushing to go to [the series] because I thought there’s an opportunity to win it in the first season, being that it was a new class, and we actually came out of contract, which was kind of crazy.
“I lost my deal with McLaren at that time, which was one of the most challenging periods of my life, and managed to get to the next races in Formula 3 and won them, and got the contract back.”
Hamilton 2006 GP2 win secured F1 future with McLaren
Hamilton went on to win the 2006 GP2 title in Monza, with this weekend’s race marking 20 years since he was told he would be a Formula 1 driver.
“I remember the first test with Fred in Jerez, and coming back in and seeing his reaction was obviously really positive, and I knew that everything he saw would go back to Ron,” he said.
“I don’t really remember much of the season. Obviously, Silverstone was mega, and Turkey was – it was a special race to come back from that spin.
“Then just standing with Ron. I just always remember standing with Ron in Monza, on the grid, in front of Kimi [Raikkonen]’s car, and that was kind of the moment my life really changed.”
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