Lewis Hamilton this season celebrates his 20-year anniversary as a Formula 1 driver, a number which he finds \u201chard to grasp the reality\u201d of.<\/p>\n
In a post on Instagram, Hamilton<\/a> spoke of \u201c20 years filled with incredible highs and brutal lows,\u201d and encouraged people to match their dream with action and belief, expressing gratitude for those who have helped him along the way, and for his doubters.<\/p>\n Lewis Hamilton celebrates 20 Formula 1 seasons milestone<\/p>\n Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for news you can trust.<\/p>\n Hamilton made his Formula 1 debut all the way back in 2007 with McLaren, contending for the Drivers\u2019 Championship in his very first season.<\/p>\n He reached that summit the following year, in what proved to be the first of a record-equalling seven title wins for the Brit.<\/p>\n Hamilton has also set outright F1 records such as most wins, poles and podiums, during his rise to becoming an F1 icon.<\/p>\n In F1 2026, Hamilton will resume his hunt for that elusive, record eighth title. Remarkably, this will be his 20th consecutive season on the F1 grid. Quite the accomplishment.<\/p>\n Hamilton took to social media to react to this milestone.<\/p>\n \u201c20 seasons as an F1 driver. It\u2019s hard to even grasp the reality of that number,\u201d his Instagram post begins.<\/p>\n Latest on Lewis Hamilton from PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n Lewis Hamilton asked himself \u2018uncomfortable questions\u2019 after difficult Ferrari debut<\/a><\/p>\n Lewis Hamilton vows strongest return yet with intense F1 2026 training<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt started with a dream. A dream some called ridiculous and said would never amount to anything. Despite that, the dream never changed, and I never stopped chasing it.<\/p>\n \u201cA dream has to be matched with action and, above all, belief. Belief that doesn\u2019t break no matter what\u2019s thrown in your face or what you come up against. There will always be people who doubt you, people who try to block you, but you can\u2019t ever stop fighting.<\/p>\n \u201cTwenty years filled with incredible highs and brutal lows, with more mistakes than I can count. But those mistakes made the journey even sweeter.<\/p>\n \u201cYou hold the power to your destiny. Everything you need to succeed is within you. You will need help along the way, like I did, but that spark, that fire, is already inside you.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m forever grateful for the lessons, the quiet moments, the chaos, and the many people who helped me chase and achieve my dreams. I\u2019m grateful for the doubters and for the ones who tried to knock me down, too. I\u2019m still here, 20 years on, still standing, still hungry, still focused on the dream. No holding back.\u201d<\/p>\n Hamilton will begin his quest for title number eight this weekend in Melbourne.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n