Hamilton reflects on 'surreal experience' of standout F1 memory

Lewis Hamilton has been reflecting on his standout memories from his F1 career, with one being the "surreal experience" of his debut in the sport. The Mercedes driver recently surpassed 300 Grand Prix starts, putting him sixth on the list of the drivers with the most Formula 1 entries in history. Looking back at his time in the sport since his rookie year in 2007, Hamilton believes there are three moments that particularly stand out to him. "[Choosing a] standout [memory], I think it's difficult to say," Hamilton told media, including RacingNews365.com . "Your first Grand Prix is always going to be one, and your first win, I would say probably those two, and your home Grand Prix as well. Maybe those three are probably the most standout ones."

Hamilton on "surreal" arrival into F1

Hamilton has especially singled out his first F1 race – the 2007 Australian Grand Prix – as being a memorable moment, given the significance it held following his journey to reach F1. "The whole realisation of reaching your dream is a very, very surreal experience," the Briton explained. "And it is always going to be your first – there's only one first. Just getting to the first Grand Prix in 2007.... "The amount of sleepless nights as a family, all of us had had, not knowing whether or not we'd be able to reach our goal, reach our dream, but never giving up nonetheless and and being there, so I think that's probably going to be the real highlight."

Plenty of records broken for Hamilton

While Hamilton counts his debut – along with his first win at the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix – as a particularly special memory, the 37-year-old has plenty of accolades to reflect back on. During his F1 career so far, Hamilton has firmly marked his name in the history books, having achieved more wins, pole positions, podium finishes and points than anybody else. He has also equalled Michael Schumacher's record seven World Championships. Hamilton remains on the hunt for an eighth title, but currently sits in P6 in the World Championship standings in 2022.