How would you feel if all your life’s greatest achievements were wiped off because of one stupid mistake of yours? Well, Lewis Hamilton once came close to losing his 7 titles.

The 2007 title challenge was an intense affair. The 3-way title fight between Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Kimi Raikkonen was one of the best showdowns in F1’s history. McLaren looked certain to clinch the title with either of their drivers. However, ‘Iceman’ Kimi had other ideas, as he defeated both the McLaren boys with a solitary point.

Although he didn’t win the title, Hamilton showed the world that he was no ordinary rookie. However, to overcome the title defeat, Hamilton took his Mercedes for a spin in Northern France. He was caught driving 122mph, 40mph over the limit. As a result, he was fined $730 his driving privileges were suspended for a month.

His car was collected as a result on behalf of Lewis, and the police were also impressed by his politeness. A police spokesman told Reuters, “He was very polite and cooperative.” 

Luckily for Lewis, McLaren confirmed at the time that it wouldn’t affect his professional career.

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He eventually went on to win the 2008 title championship and has added 6 more titles to his tally since. Although it has been 15 years since Hamilton’s debut, it is hard to forget the rivalry he and Alonso had back in the day.

Former F1 driver labels Lewis Hamilton and his former McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso “monsters”

Pedro de la Rosa was the test driver for McLaren in 2007, during Hamilton’s rookie season. His teammate then was the two-time reigning champion, Fernando Alonso. With 104 race starts of his own, the veteran feels that Lewis and Fernando are a “special” breed of racers who are hard to find today.

In November, De la Rosa told media involving PlanetF1, “I still say they are special. From the guys I worked with, definitely very special.” He then added, “Not every new driver that comes into Formula 1 is special.”

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He continued, “It’s difficult to detect because all the drivers that come into Formula 1 have probably been special at one point in Formula 2, Formula 3, whatever. But then the reality comes when you’re with these monsters (Hamilton and Alonso).”

The Mercedes driver has had a rocky relationship with the Spaniard over the years. The duo collided in the opening lap in Spa this season. Furthermore, Alonso also took a couple of digs on the 7-time champion with his title comments.

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Hamilton endured one of his toughest seasons in F1. However, he will be looking to keep that behind him and focus on the upcoming season in 2023. It will be interesting to see if he gets back to challenging for race wins next season.