"Actually he’s not bad" - When Lewis Hamilton's humility was praised by his former team principal at McLaren

Lewis Hamilton's humility after all the success he has achieved, was once praised by Martin Whitmarsh, a former McLaren team principal.

Hamilton was a part of McLaren's young driver academy spearheaded by Whitmarsh. After debuting with the team in 2007 and winning the world title in 2008, Hamilton had Whitmarsh as team principal before he moved to Mercedes.

In a feature done by the BBC on Hamilton, Whitmarsh talked about how impressive the young driver was from the start. The first impressions suggested that Hamilton was going to be successful, but Whitmarsh did not think the driver would become a multiple world champion. He said:

“He had this youthful, naive, warm personality about him. You wanted him to make it. I don’t know whether I could have said back then that he was going to be a multiple world champion, you just saw that he was a really likeable kid who came from a modest background, had a pretty pushy father."

He added:

“He wasn’t arrogant or cocky. There are a few things he’s done in his life where from afar you think, ‘Oh, God, Lewis. …’ but actually he’s not bad. He’s got a sincere humility about him. That lad came up, and you thought, ‘There's something here. It’s got to be worth a punt.’”

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Lewis Hamilton excited for 2023 season

The Mercedes driver is excited about the 2023 F1 season as he hopes the team can give him a car to fight for the title. The 2022 season was a disappointment, as Hamilton didn't have the tools to compete for the title. However, in 2023, he hopes Mercedes will be better placed to challenge for it, saying:

"I'm definitely excited for 2023. These last few years have been so difficult for so many around the world, so many people struggling with the war and many other things."

He added:

"I hope something kicks us all into gear to understand that we need to be more compassionate and caring to each other, and I am praying for that all the time. A new year to be better, a new year to climb, keep fighting and unite even more. And it's another chance to fight for a World Championship."

If Hamilton wins the championship this season, he will break a tie with Michael Schumacher (7) for most world titles.