Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport and to reach the peak, a driver needs to learn in the junior categories. Formula 2, Formula 3, and Formula 4 are the stepping stones of the top league. Amidst all these is the famous Formula Renault, which is regarded as the entry-level series in motor racing.
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Each driver in their career honors their skills in these competitions to announce themselves as an upcoming talent. The seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton, is arguably the driver he is today because of these competitions in his formative years.
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Hamilton’s karting days date back to 1993. However, his professional racing career started in 2001 in the British Formula Renault. The exceptional pace of the Brit turned heads from the get-go. It was not long before he got a seat in GP2 in 2006. A title in his debut year meant a promotion for him to Formula 1 in 2007.
Taking a trip down memory lane lands us to round 11 of the 2003 Formula Renault championship. The Briton raced in the championship with the constructor, Manor Motorsport. Notably, he raced against a Wolff who took part in the same championship as him.
Susie Wolff, the wife of Mercedes boss, Toto Wolff, is a former British racing driver. The Scottish international is a former test driver of Williams. Currently, she operates as the CEO of the Formula E team, Venturi Racing.
DIVE DEEPER
In 2003, Lewis Hamilton and Susie Wolff went head-to-head in the British racing league. Hamilton grabbed the top step of the podium and the fastest lap in that race. While Wolff crossed the checked flag in P3 and completed the podium positions. On the podium, she showed no mercy to Lewis by soaking him with champagne.
The Lewis Hamilton and Wolff Connection
In 2013, Lewis Hamilton set the headlines by making a bold move to Mercedes. He jumped ship from Mclaren to replace Michael Schumacher at the German racing stable. This move saw the Brit operating under a new boss, Toto Wolff.
Toto Wolff joined Mercedes in 2013 as he became an executive director of the Mercedes team. The relationship between the Briton and the German boss developed strongly from the outset. Hamilton grabbed his first title in the Mercedes uniform in 2014, which announced the onset of the Mercedes era.
This made the spouse of the Mercedes team principal, Susie Wolff, one of Lewis’ strongest allies. It further makes her one individual who knows the 37-year-old in a close capacity and terms him an inspiration.
Susie Wolff on Lewis Hamilton
“I have so much admiration & respect for Lewis.. how he manages his life to be the best possible racing driver that he can be…he has an incredible ability.. Im inspired by Lewis as a racing driver but also as a human being “
|F1:Beyond The Grid pic.twitter.com/0EAo5ef5Mw
— Sir Lewis Hamilton Updates (@SirLewisUpdates) March 30, 2022
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A few months ago in an interview, Susie Wolff opined on him by saying, “For me, what’s amazing to watch is how well he can push himself in times of pressure. I didn’t have that, at that point, as a racing driver, but he has an ability amazing in the car, and out of the car.”
“I’m inspired by Lewis as a racing driver, but also as a human being. Obviously, I see some of the negative comments around what he does, and how he expresses himself in different areas, but you know what? It takes guts to be different.” She added.
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At the end of 2021, the Brit signed a two-year extension with the team. On the other hand, Toto Wolff signed a three-year extension in 2020. The team based out of Brackley has all the pieces in place for the near future. The Hamilton and the Wolff connection can be the secret sauce the team needs in its quest to return to winning ways.
