Lewis Hamilton: The birth of a legend

Prior to his debut in Formula 1®, the Hamilton name had been talked about in racing circles for years.

At age 12, Hamilton became the youngest ever driver to secure a Formula 1® deal when he was signed to McLaren's development program, and such was the hype around the budding young star that bookmakers had opened markets on the age Hamilton would be when he’d win his first Formula 1 race and first World Drivers’ Championship.

Entering the 2007 season, McLaren’s driver line-up had had a shake-up with Kimi Räikkönen was on his way to Ferrari, while Juan Pablo Montoya had signed a deal with NASCAR.

That paved the way for McLaren to sign two-time (and defending) World Champion Fernando Alonso and opened the door for Hamilton who was fresh off a GP2 Championship in 2006.

In 2007, this made Lewis Hamilton the first (and as of 2025), only driver of black heritage to race in Formula 1®.

When Hamilton touched down in Melbourne ahead of his debut race weekend, he immediately became the centre of attention, and when he got behind the wheel and fans got their first look at the young Brit, he did not disappoint!

Hamilton would qualify fourth and start from the second row, and by the first corner of the race had moved into the podium positions and overtaken his teammate, Fernando Alonso.

In a first race of what was being touted the post-Schumacher era, Hamilton would lead the Grand Prix on two separate occasions, eventually crossing the line behind race winner Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari) and teammate Fernando Alonso (McLaren) to become the first driver to finish on the podium on their debut since Jacques Villeneuve at the Formula 1® Australian Grand Prix in 1996.

Reflecting on his Formula 1® debut, Hamilton remarked, "I couldn't have dreamed of a better start" as the 2007 season went on to become an instant classic.

Entering the final race of the season in Brazil leading the World Drivers’ Championship, Lewis Hamilton experienced a gearbox problem that would see him finish the season just one point behind Kimi Räikkönen and equal on points with his teammate Fernando Alonso, Hamilton officially placing second in the 2007 World Drivers’ Championship after a countback.

Hamilton’s rookie season saw him take the chequered flag on four occasions, and finish on the podium on eight other occasions throughout the 17-race 2007 season.

The impact of Hamilton's debut was immediate and profound and years later, it would be said that it took about 400m to know that Lewis Hamilton would one day be a World Champion.

In a career that’s seen him go on to win seven World Drivers’ Championships, win 104 races, stand on the podium 199 times, and rank second only behind Fernando Alonso for career race starts, Lewis Hamilton ranks as arguably the greatest Formula 1® driver of all-time, proving that the hype surrounding his debut in 2007 was very much real.

Entering the 2025 season, Lewis Hamilton is set once again for a debut – this time of a different kind, when he suits up for the Prancing Horses and fans get their first look at Lewis in red.

18 years on, we reflect on Lewis Hamilton’s debut Formula 1® race at Albert Park as not just a moment in history, but the birth of a legend.