Hamilton revisits his first F1 win — and confirms he’ll race with Ferrari through 2027
Hamilton recalls his first victory in Canada, in 2007 as a rookie at McLaren against Fernando, and confirms that he has a contract with Ferrari for 2027.
Lewis Hamilton still remembers the weekend that changed everything. His first Formula 1 victory — Canada 2007 — came at the height of a tense, season‑long duel with Fernando Alonso inside McLaren. And even though the seven‑time world champion often says he’s not big on stats or anniversaries, this Thursday in Montreal he recalled that breakthrough moment with striking clarity.
“My first Grand Prix win in Canada will always be the one that sticks out the most‚” Hamilton said. “Enter the season, being told I’d be half a second off Fernando [Alonso] - don’t be surprised if you’re half a second off Fernando. And then I was right with him at the beginning but I was struggling a little bit, getting to grips with traction control. Fernando always had it turned to the maximum, and I’d always turn mine to the minimum, which was detrimental ultimately to pure performance. So it took me a while to get acclimatized to utilizing it.”
Back then, refueling was still part of pit stops, which created a built‑in disadvantage for the rookie. “You could never stop two cars on the same lap, so we had to separate them by two laps. And being that I was a rookie I always get the heavier fuel load so I’d have two laps’ extra fuel every single time I would qualify,” he explained. “At that point I was so certain I could out-qualify Fernando. I just needed the opportunity. I fought for it, only for five races. I got to Canada and they gave us equal fuel load. I qualified pole and won my first Grand Prix. It validated my belief in myself.”
Fight for what you believe in
Hamilton said that moment proved something to everyone — including McLaren boss Ron Dennis. “I proved my boss wrong — that I wasn’t going to be half a second slower. And it proved to me that you should always fight for what you believe in. That was a very important, pivotal moment in my career.”
That rookie season was dazzling and chaotic in equal measure. Hamilton pushed Alonso hard — too hard at times, like in Monaco, where the Spaniard was managing the car to secure a 1‑2. And the year ended with costly mistakes in China and Brazil that handed the title to Kimi Räikkönen and Ferrari.
Looking ahead: “I’ll be here for quite some time, so get used to it”
Fast‑forward to today, and Hamilton made something else clear in Montreal: he’s not going anywhere.He confirmed he has a Ferrari contract through 2027, meaning this is far from his final season.
“I still in contract, so everything is 100 percent clear to me,” he said. “I’m still focused, I’m still motivated. I still love what I do with all my heart, so I’m going to be here for quite some time so get used to it. There’s a lot of people that are trying to retire me, but that’s not even on my thoughts. I’m already thinking of what will be next, and planning for the next five years.”
His results with Ferrari so far have been modest — just one podium (China 2026) and a sprint win (China 2025). The SF‑26 hasn’t yet threatened Mercedes’ dominance or McLaren’s consistency.
But Hamilton insists he’s energized, committed, and planning for the long haul.
Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.