What Lewis Hamilton said when fan asked if he was the GOAT

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Lewis Hamilton has issued his response after a fan asked whether he considers himself the greatest F1 driver of all time.

Hamilton is statistically the most successful driver in the sport’s history, with seven titles, 103 wins and 104 pole positions.

And speaking to GQ Sports, he’s weighed in on the F1 ‘GOAT debate’.

Hamilton entered F1 in 2007 with McLaren and missed out on becoming the first rookie champion in the sport’s history by a single point.

The year after, he made amends with a maiden crown, beating Ferrari’s Felipe Massa.

• READ MORE: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family

He’s one of only two drivers, alongside Jacques Villeneuve in 1997, to win a championship within two years of starting out.

Hamilton left McLaren for Mercedes ahead of the 2013 season and would soon enjoy an era of dominance, winning six out of seven titles between 2014 and 2020.

For much of that period, the Silver Arrows were comfortably clear at the front of the field.

Max Verstappen dethroned Hamilton in 2021 after an infamous season finale in Abu Dhabi, and the 39-year-old hasn’t won a race since amid Mercedes’ regression.

Lewis Hamilton refuses to call himself the GOAT

Hamilton stopped short of declaring himself the best driver in F1 history, but says he knows privately how good he is.

The Briton believes he can best underline his status by doing his talking on the race track.

He said: “I mean I know what I am. But that’s something I’ll continue to try and show you.”

Hamilton has made the dramatic decision to leave Mercedes at the end of the season to join Ferrari.

He’ll go up against one of the highest-rated drivers on the grid in Charles Leclerc.

When will Hamilton retire from F1?

Hamilton is the second oldest driver on the current grid behind 42-year-old Fernando Alonso.

By the end of this season, he’ll have overtaken Kimi Raikkonen for Grand Prix entries, with the Finn currently 18 ahead (353 vs 335).

Despite that, Hamilton doesn’t appear to be thinking about retirement at the moment.

The Englishman has committed to a multi-year deal with Ferrari to take him into F1’s new era in 2026.

He’s spoken to sporting greats like Michael Jordan and Serena Williams about his future competing at the highest level.

Only 10 drivers have ever won a Grand Prix in their 40s, with Nigel Mansell (41 years, 97 days) the last to do so at the Austrian Grand Prix 30 years ago.

Only three have won a championship – Juan Manuel Fangio, Giuseppe Farina and Jack Brabham, all of whom raced in the 1950s and ’60s.

Hamilton knows an eighth title would put him out on his own ahead of Michael Schumacher in the all-time list.