Tom Clarkson recalls what didn’t seem ‘possible’ about Lewis Hamilton after first meeting in 2006

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Lewis Hamilton will enter his 19th Formula 1 season in 2025 with a new team as he embarks on a journey with Ferrari.

After 11 years with Mercedes, his time with them came to an end at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with a stellar drive through the field to fourth.

Toto Wolff was spotted angrily yelling after Hamilton’s Q1 exit following a mistake by the team which made his farewell race a lot more difficult.

Hamilton might have made the podium if it wasn’t for that, settling for an audacious last-lap move on teammate George Russell around the outside of turn nine.

Charles Leclerc will offer a new challenge to him next season but there are a few things that the seven-time champion needs to work on over the winter including his qualifying pace.

Hamilton’s very difficult braking issue was part of his one-lap struggles and shouldn’t carry over to his new team, but if it does he could be in for a very long season.

Lewis Hamilton’s ‘cool’ demeanour didn’t seem ‘possible’ before he reached F1

After claiming seven world championships and racing for two of the most established teams in Formula 1 history, Hamilton has achieved just about everything one can dream of.

Adding an eighth Drivers’ Championship to set him clear of Michael Schumacher with Ferrari would be a dream but he has already won so much and forged such a legacy.

Before any of it started, F1’s Beyond the Grid host Tom Clarkson interviewed him back in 2006 and recalled his first impressions of the Brit and his calm demeanour back in 2018.

READ MORE: Felipe Massa says Lewis Hamilton faces one problem at Ferrari that even Michael Schumacher couldn’t deal with

“I remember first interviewing you, you won’t remember this. It was back in 2006 when you were in GP2,” he said.

“The take-home message for me – you were dominating and having a great season, was how relaxed you were. There’s so much intensity around some of the young guys coming through now.

“They just want it so much. Given that you were on the McLaren young driver programme and you were clearly the next big thing. I just remember thinking, ‘He’s just so cool with all this’, how is that possible?”

What Lewis Hamilton needs to do at Ferrari to usurp Michael Schumacher’s legacy

Winning another Drivers’ Championship with a third team and second engine manufacturer would elevate Hamilton beyond Schumacher in almost every category.

In the process, he’s going to have a lot to learn and fight hard at the age of 39. It may also involve renewing an intense rivalry with Red Bull star Max Verstappen.

If he doesn’t beat the reigning four-time champion he could go on to smash all of his records in the near future anyways.

READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton takes cheeky dig at Max Verstappen with ‘doesn’t always work out’ comment

Helmut Marko thinks Hamilton is still world-class and 2025 is his chance to prove it alongside a fast-charging Leclerc and new guard in the form of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at the front.

He might have to use it as a stepping stone for 2026, but as long as he gets to compete for one more title, he won’t let anyone else beat him to it.