Ahead of 300th F1 race, 7-time champion Lewis Hamilton names toughest opponent in history

Seven-time F1 Drivers' Champion Lewis Hamilton is set to script history this weekend as he is set to take part in his 300th race at the French Grand Prix. Ahead of this massive feat, the Brit has named his toughest opponent in his career which has spanned over 15 years.

Lewis Hamilton names toughest F1 adversary in history

While speaking at his pre-race press conference ahead of the French GP 2022, Lewis Hamilton said, "I think it’s difficult to say who has necessarily been the strongest competitor because every time you’re with someone, you’re in a different place in your life. I remember the task of being alongside Fernando [Alonso] when I was 22. I was so young mentally and, of course, in terms of skill. But it’s a lot of pressure to go up against a great like Fernando. I would say on pure pace, Fernando [is the toughest]. We had some good battles. I wish we could have more. Hopefully, he will continue to race so hopefully, we’ll have more in the future."

The iconic Hamilton-Alonso rivalry began when the two were racing for McLaren in 2007. The Spaniard joined the team as a two-time world champion, having won back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006. On the other hand, Hamilton joined the team as an F1 rookie, who had a huge amount of success in the junior ranks. In his very first year in the sport, Hamilton finished as runner-up in the championship alongside Alonso with 109 points, just one point behind 2007 champion Kimi Raikkonen.

Lewis Hamilton's staggering success in F1

From his very first season in F1 in 2007, Lewis Hamilton has left a mark on the sport. After finishing second in his debut season, he went on to win the title in the very next season, the first of seven. After spending some years in an uncompetitive McLaren from 2009 to 2012, Hamilton decided to join Mercedes in 2013.

He finished fourth that season before winning the title in six of the seven next seasons. The only season that he did not win the title was in 2016, when he lost to teammate Nico Rosberg. Moreover, last year the Brit lost the title to Max Verstappen by just eight points.