Watch: Lewis Hamilton’s karting footage from 1998 shows he has always been a class apart

F1 legend and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton's consistency and talent is well known. The Briton, who currently trails Max Verstappen by only eight points in the championship, has had a long and impactful career, even during his junior years.

In footage from 1998, a young Lewis Hamilton can be seen clearing kart after kart as he makes his way through the field, significantly quicker than the rest. The boy from Stevenage has spent most of his life in karts and race cars, having begun serious go-karting at the tender age of eight.

In the video embedded above, the driver can be seen making his way through the field in his first year of JICA karting in 1998. He started in last place and battled through the field, out-performing the rest of his competitors to win. The performance was akin to the 36-year-old's recent drive at the Brazilian Grand Prix, where he started in 10th place before eventually finishing in first.

The Briton then found himself making big career moves over the next five years, winning the 2003 Formula Renault 2.0 UK series and giving the world a glimpse of what was to come.

Hamilton subsequently won the 2006 GP2 championship and finally debuted in F1 in 2007, starring alongside Fernando Alonso.

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Lewis Hamilton the only driver who can deny Max Verstappen his first championship

With only eight points between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, all eyes will be on the two drivers at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix next weekend. After two back-to-back wins in Brazil and Qatar, the momentum seems to be on Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes' side. However, the Dutchman can clinch the title at the upcoming venue by creating a gap of 26 points.

To make matters more interesting, the unknown nature of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit stands to throw the teams and drivers for a loop. The onus will particularly be on the two title-contending drivers and teams as whoever figures it out best will have a distinct advantage.