LEWIS HAMILTON’s dad, Anthony, says seeing his son become the most successful F1 driver of all time is the “culmination of all their dreams”.
Hamilton Snr was in Portugal to witness the Brit’s 92nd victory that moved him clear of Michael Schumacher’s total.
It is a far cry from their humble beginnings when he juggled jobs to pay for his son’s fledgling racing career.
He said: “It was an unbelievable day, it was like back to when Lewis started karting at eight. It is the culmination of all our dreams.
“There were no words, we were both dumbfounded. We started in a council house and had no idea we would end up here.
“We should be used to it now, but this felt like the first day or motor racing for us.
“The plan was to take advantage of all the opportunities life had presented to us and to get ourselves out of a tough life when we lived in a council house.
“So the whole thing is a dream and we do not forget where we come from. We are still very much feet on the ground, real people and very proud of it as well.”
Hamilton Snr said he always knew his son had the ability to be a world-beater but said they never set targets – other than to do their best.
He added: “I knew he was capable of greatness, because when someone commits themselves and says ‘do you know what dad, I am going to do everything you say and this is is what I want to do and this is what I am going to be’, I think there is no limit, so long as you are dedicated.
“But we have never looked at titles, trophies or numbers, we really only really focused on doing the best we can each time we were out on track.
“Our motto since he was five was ‘do your talking on the track’ so actually when you go out and do your best and the bonus is when you win, it is not the focus.
“The focus has always been doing the best you can when you get to the circuit. There were no plans to tick off targets, just to do your best each time.”
Meanwhile, F1’s Managing Director of Racing, Ross Brawn, has hailed the 35-year-old’s achievements.
Brawn signed Hamilton from McLaren in 2013 while he was also the mastermind behind all of Schuamcher’s success.
He said: “This was another exemplary performance from Lewis. No one can come near him at the moment.
“There was excitement at the beginning of the race, and he lost ground, but he handled the disappointment with his customary style and found a way to fight back and secure victory.
“Ninety two wins is an incredible achievement. Who knows where this is going to stop.
“His ability to departmentalise his life and his challenge is something I noticed early on when I worked with him at Mercedes.
“He had a number of things that he was pursuing as well as F1, but he seemed to have an impressive ability to put it all to one side when he got in a racing car and produce these exceptional performances.
“For someone who has an involved lifestyle, it’s truly impressive. He does not have many weaknesses and rarely makes mistakes.
“His consistency is extraordinary and has been the backbone of his success in F1. He’s flying at the moment and shows no signs of slowing down.”
