Jul 05, 2007 07:47 PM
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Unforeseen circumstances saw Lewis Hamilton become the second driver for Team McLaren Mercedes for the 2007 Formula One season. Kimi and Juan Pablo Montoya had both left the McLaren team, and double world champion Fernando Alonso joined the squad. But what of the second spot? Most people thought that Lewis would be kept away from the pressure cooker situations of F1 racing in 2007...McLaren were expected to tarin their protege during testing sessions, away from the limelight of Grand Prix weekends. But Ron Dennis took the bull by the horns and did the unconventiona: gave the young Briton a drive for McLaren in 2007. After all, he had done well in a few test sessions and had proved himself capable by winning the GP2 championship quite convincingly.
*EARLY CAREER
*McLaren Mercedes recognised the talent of young Lewis (born on January 7, 1985) before he erached his teens and was signed on as a part of their young driver development program. By 2004, Hamilton had been reasonably successfulk in junior formulae, and was driving in the Formula Three Euroseries. He finsihed a reasonable 5th in the championship and won it convincingly ihe following season. Hamilton won the GP2 championship in 2006 in quite a controversial fashion...but needless to say, he won it fair and square.
*F1
*Hamilton has driven 8 races so far and finsihed on the podium in all of them, and winning two of them. This is a phenomenal record in itself. The icing on the cake for the young man is that he is now leading the World CHampionship and consistently outracing Alonso (McLaren ace at the start of 2007). Now, his home race is coming up: its a huge responsibility for Hamilton to do well since it's been quite a while since an English driver won in Britain. Let's hope for the best. But rest assured, there will be huge hype in all of Great Britain this weekend....with unprecendented press coverage of Lewis' performances, interviews, views and news. Let's hope McLaren can set up the car perfectly for him to win the race. But never count out the competition: Ferrari are baying for blood since the departure of Schumi has taken the spotlight away from the Scuderia and put McLaren into the limelight. Ferrari can reclaim some lost ground by denying McLaren a win here in Silverstone... So, will Lewis ride the wave of success and touch even gretaer heights in the weekend, season and years to come?? He has already proved taht of all the rookies, he is the best preapred ever to drive alongside the world's best.
Oh, did I mention that Lewis is also the first black driver in F1? And the youngest driver to grab pole postion? He is destined to be rememebred as one of the true greats...let's hope it doenst fizzle out as a flash in the pan. Go Lewis go!
