Lewis Hamilton reveals surprising stance on F1 records

Lewis Hamilton holds more records than any other driver in F1 history, yet the seven-time drivers' champion insists they are not something that occupies his mind.

The Ferrari driver has 106 grand prix victories, 104 pole positions and 205 podium finishes to his name, all of which stand as records, and claimed his first Ferrari victory in the 2026 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.

His seven drivers' championships equal the mark set by Michael Schumacher, a tally once considered untouchable.

And yet, when asked how he would define success, Hamilton offered a perspective that had little to do with silverware or statistics.

"I've never really thought about how you would define success," Hamilton told media, including RacingNews365. "I think success can be perceived in lots of different ways.

"I think waking up every day and trying again, and giving it a try, always trying to be better than your previous self, evolving into the person that you feel comfortable in, who you want to be, overcoming adversity, proving people wrong that try to hold you back or bring you down, the way you show up."

Hamilton, who is in his second season at Ferrari after leaving Mercedes, expanded on the theme, framing success not through results but through personal growth.

"I think, of course, from the outside world, results are what people call success, but I think internally, for me, it's just progress," he added.

"If you're progressing, you're succeeding. I don't really put a lot of pressure on… That's why I've always said I'm really grateful for the records and those sorts of things, but they're not things I ever think of.

"The things I think of is every day how I tune my brain, because ultimately I'm really focused on… You can tune yourself to believe what you want. And I'm always trying to work on my inner self to programme myself to be moving forward, not looking at what's behind me.

"It's a part of the journey, but not necessarily the most important thing. The important thing is how you're getting up, it's how you're pushing forward, it's how you're trying to evolve, and just looking forward, always looking forward, never looking back."

At 41, Hamilton is closer to the end of his career than the beginning. He made his F1 debut way back in 2007, nearly two decades ago, and now has 385 grand prix starts to his name.

But retirement is not on the agenda. Hamilton is under contract with Ferrari until at least the end of 2027 and has publicly stated he plans to be in the sport "for quite some time," going so far as to say he is already planning the next five years.