Jennie Gow pinpoints the attitude problem Lewis Hamilton had at McLaren before ‘extraordinary’ change

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Lewis Hamilton won his first world championship with McLaren in 2008. But he also experienced plenty of lows during his time with the Woking outfit.

Hamilton very nearly won the title as a rookie in 2007 – an unprecedented feat – but missed out by one point. He was running in the podium places at the penultimate race in China when he beached his car in the gravel on the pit-lane entry.

Kimi Raikkonen won the race, and went on to take the title at the finale in Brazil. Hamilton made amends at Interlagos 12 months on, sensationally passing Timo Glock at the final corner to deny Raikkonen’s Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa.

2009 was a down year for McLaren as Brawn and Red Bull battled it out at the front. But Hamilton still managed to win a couple of races and finish fifth in the standings.

They returned to title contention in 2010, but a series of retirements proved to be costly. Indeed, it was a similar story in 2012, where Hamilton and McLaren arguably had the best package over the course of a wild season.

2011 was arguably the toughest season of all as Hamilton lost out to teammate Jenson Button in the standings. He was involved in a series of damaging incidents, most of them with Massa.

Lewis Hamilton was ‘petulant’ at the start of F1 career before becoming ‘extraordinary’

Speaking on the Fast and the Curious podcast, BBC F1 reporter Jennie Gow reflected on how Hamilton’s personality had evolved over the course of his career. She says he didn’t have the right temperament when he first entered F1, using the word ‘petulant’ to describe him.

Hamilton has always had a good relationship with Gow but she now admires him more than ever. He received a knighthood at the end of the 2021 season.

The 39-year-old is the most outspoken driver on the grid when it comes to social issues. Among other campaigns, he’s seeking to promote greater inclusion and diversity within motorsport.

“You think of Lewis Hamilton, and the way that he has turned from somewhat petulant young man to this activist who is now representing so many different people and standing up for so many different people,” Gow said. “There’s no doubt that that ‘sir’ is well-placed on his shoulders.

“He’s always been extraordinarily kind to me from the first day that I met him onwards. We’ve had our moments where he wouldn’t answer questions, but that’s what you get when you’re a reporter when you’re trying to speak to someone just after a really bad race. So he’s extraordinary.”

Mercedes insider says Lewis Hamilton has a ‘very clear’ idea of when he’ll retire from Formula 1

High Performance podcast host Jake Humphrey provided a different perspective on Hamilton’s early years. He first met him in 2009, off the back of his championship triumph.

Humphrey says Hamilton was wracked with self-doubt, even after becoming the sport’s youngest ever title winner. He feels that’s driven him to improve throughout his career.

His move to Ferrari will almost certainly launch the final chapter. Indeed, one Mercedes insider says Hamilton has a ‘very clear’ idea of when he’ll retire.

He hasn’t revealed the precise date to the public, but he didn’t want to retire without racing in red. The fairytale script would see him win a record-breaking eighth championship before he hangs up his helmet.