Lewis Hamilton recently became the only other Formula One driver to reach 7 World Championships. He first tasted glory way back in 2007 when he joined the McLaren Mercedes F1 team and his relationship with the team dates back to his karting days.

Although he grew a lot during his time with McLaren, not all of his moments with the team are deemed positive. Lewis opened up on McLaren having certain expectations of their drivers’ behavior.

“At McLaren, I have grown a lot, but they had certain expectations about how a driver should behave and they contrasted with the fact that I have always been an outsider, a nonconformist,” Lewis said.

Assuming his relationship with the McLaren was bittersweet in the end, Lewis would still not want to forget the incredible memories he created with the team.

Moreover, he secured the first of 7 World Championships with McLaren. The team bestowed upon him a tremendous amount of racing experience before Lewis left for Mercedes and eventually portrayed his actual capability as a Formula 1 driver.

Lewis Hamilton reveals his message to Mercedes before joining in 2013

Before joining the Mercedes AMG F1 team in 2013, Lewis opened up on a request he put forward to the team.

“Before signing with Mercedes I said: ‘Look, I’m different from the others. Let it be myself, let me experience because I have to find out who I am. However, I help you and make the brand grow in the world of young people in a better way.’ And that’s what happened.”

Mercedes gave him the space he demanded and backed him through his highs and lows. The team developed a healthy bond with the Briton, and the results turned out to be just phenomenal. His pursuit of the World Championships hasn’t come to an end yet.

Weeks after beating Michael Schumacher’s record for the number of race wins, Lewis equaled another one of the German’s records. And it looks like he is not going to stop before beating the record he recently equaled at the Turkish Grand Prix.