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Lewis Hamilton is one of the most successful F1 drivers of all time. He has had a long and successful career in the sport, winning seven world championships with 103 race wins under his belt currently. Over the years, he has accrued a massive following.
Since Hamilton is one of the most famous athletes in the world, there are several fascinating facts about him that not a lot of fans might know.
List of 5 fascinating facts about Lewis Hamilton not a lot of fans know
#1 His first pet dog named Goldie
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Long before Lewis Hamilton adopted Roscoe and Coco, his parents had a pet labrador named Goldie. In an interview with ESPN in 2023, Hamilton talked about Goldie and how the dog would walk him to his school and find its way back home.
Not a lot of information is available about the pet, but there are a few pictures of young Hamilton with the labrador.
#2 Story behind number 44
Lewis Hamilton's racing number, 44, is now synonymous with him. He even used the number in his business and NGOs like Plus44 and Mission44.
When he attended the 2019 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award show, the Mercedes driver explained the inspiration behind number 44. He stated that when he entered F1, he picked 44 because his karting number was 44 and his father's number plate in his childhood was F44. (via TalkSport)
#3 His bold pitch to McLaren's head when he was young
Lewis Hamilton started showing signs of being bold and talented right from the beginning. In 2021, he shared a story of him meeting McLaren's former CEO Ron Dennis for the first time.
When he was nine years old and was still driving go-karts, he went to the Autosport awards show since he won the British karting championship. There, he met with the then-CEO of McLaren, Ron Dennis. Without fear, he introduced himself and stated that he won the British karting championship. Hamilton then told Dennis that he wanted to race McLaren cars and win a championship with them.
Ron Dennis graciously gave young Hamilton his number and told him to call him in nine years. Three years later, Dennis himself called Hamilton and took him under McLaren's driver development program.
#4 He rapped on a song in 2018
The seven-time F1 world champion has many hobbies apart from tearing up tarmac at eye-watering speeds. Back in 2018, Hamilton secretly featured on a song by Christina Aguilera called Pipe under the pseudonym XNDA. He rapped a few verses in the song after the 2:39 mark. This is the only official song Hamilton has ever featured on.
#5 He had a great relationship with Nico Rosberg before their F1 rivalry
Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg's rivalry is one of the most famous in F1 history. Ever since they joined F1 and raced alongside each other in 2013 in Mercedes, the heat started to build up between the two. The rivalry reached its peak when both Hamilton and Rosberg fought for the 2016 F1 world championship with each other.
However, their relationship was quite different before F1. Before becoming bitter rivals, Rosberg and Hamilton were friends when they competed in junior racing categories. Though their friendship continued even after they started racing in F1, their relationship quickly deteriorated when they went into a title battle.
