At the 2026 F1 São Paulo GP, Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton will reach yet another milestone in the sport as the seven-time World Champion is set to make his 400th Grand Prix start. The Briton, who first made his debut at the 2007 F1 Australian GP, has now done a total of 20 seasons in the sport. He has set multiple records, which he has continued to beat. These records include the most number of career pole positions, podiums and victories.
Ahead of the 2026 F1 São Paulo GP, multiple of Hamilton’s fellow F1 drivers on the grid congratulated the Briton on achieving the milestone and reflected on his incredible career and impact.
George Russell
Hamilton’s former Mercedes teammate, George Russell, was among those who congratulated the seven-time World Champion on his 400th race start.
The Briton praised Hamilton’s dominant performance in F1 over his 20 years in the sport and shared that he respected his dedication to the sport.
“Yeah, I mean, what he’s achieved on and off track has been incredible, you know, he’s an inspiration to so many. Yeah, the fact that he’s not had a year off just shows the sort of character he is. And yeah, he definitely is built different to a number of other athletes around the world, but that’s why he’s one of the best, one of the best ever. And he loves racing. He loves Formula 1, doesn’t have much interest in other racing series outside of Formula 1, because this is the pinnacle, and I respect that. I respect Verstappen on the other side, who’ve got a lot of interest in other racing series outside. There’s no right or wrong. But he’s still going strong, and this season has probably been his best season in Formula 1 since 2021.”
Lando Norris
“I mean, it’s it’s pretty unbelievable what he’s been able to do for such a long time. Even to now, to see him fighting against Charles. I think Charles is easily one of the best on the grid, insanely quick and the fact that Lewis is still giving him a good fight, especially this year, I think it’s been actually pretty… I think everyone’s enjoyed the fact he was able to give Charles a better performance, not just give his team a better performance, but also look like he was getting more out of the car and achieving better results every time.
“So he certainly maybe seemed to not like the last few years as much in terms of the last few years of cars and we had that kind of regulation, but he seemed to kind of look like he’s back to normal in terms of fighting at the front and proving that he’s one of the best out there. So I think it’s a pretty incredible achievement for him to fight for this long. He’s a good inspiration for many of us.”
Norris also reflected that while he believes he will not reach this milestone himself, Hamilton does serve as inspiration to continue fighting for more victories and championships.
“I certainly don’t think I’m going that far. But it’s a good thing to look forward to in terms of my career. I know I was happy with one championship, but when I look at Lewis, he makes me not very happy to have only won one championship. But that’s in a good way that I can look at him and see him at his age, in his form, and it makes me believe more than ever that I can fight for many, many more years and that’s something I look forward to.”
Isack Hadjar
Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar is widely known on the grid to be a long-time fan of Lewis Hamilton and has openly shared that he grew up looking up to the Briton. Despite the 2026 F1 season being the second the pair have shared the grid, Hadjar reflected that it felt like he was “living a nice dream” as he drove alongside his racing inspiration.
“For me, I’m living a nice dream. Growing up, the guy I looked up to with Ayrton [Senna]. I never thought I would be on the grid with him. Not only am I on the grid with him, but we’re also fighting against each other with competitive cars.”
A weekend prior at the 2026 F1 Mexico City GP, Hadjar backed off on the racing line right in front of Hamilton into Turn 1 during one of the practice sessions. However, Hamilton chose not to complain over the team radio to avoid getting the Frenchman in trouble. Reflecting on the incident, Hadjar expressed his gratitude and revealed that he had apologised to the Briton following the session.
“I appreciate the fact that he did that. I remember I apologised. It’s my first time impeding him, to be honest. That’s probably why as well. 400 races is a lot. I hope he’s got something left in the tank, and we can keep going at it.”
Kimi Antonelli
When informed Hamilton will be celebrating his 400th race start in F1, newly crowned World Drivers’ Champion Kimi Antonelli shared: “Well, first of all, congratulations for Lewis’s 400th race. It’s a lot. I didn’t even know what race I mean. That’s crazy. So he’s celebrating 400, and I’m celebrating 44.”
Antonelli then praised the Briton’s dedication and drive. He added that Hamilton’s career served as an inspiration for the rest of his own career and that he hopes to race against the Briton for many more seasons.
“I mean, he’s incredible. First of all, how he can still perform at this age. I mean, like Fernando at the end of the day, but to see him with the same hunger, determination, is very cool and inspirational as well. And it could be a good sign for me. You know, I’m just 20. Hopefully at 41, I’ll be still here racing and competing at the top. So, no, it’s incredible what he has achieved. I mean, he has broken so many records and still doing so. So, yeah, very happy, big privilege to be able to race against him and hopefully many more battles in the future.”
Oscar Piastri
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri shared that when it comes to Lewis Hamilton’s impressive career in F1 thus far, “the numbers do the talking”. Instead, the Australian is more impressed and inspired by the Briton’s sportsmanship.
“I don’t think you need to say any words about his career, I think the numbers do the talking on that front. Also what he’s been able to do for the sport and other causes outside the sport is very admirable and quite rare, I would say, in motorsport. I think that is a very impressive thing and I think Lewis has always been a very fair racer as well.
“I think on top of the stats of his career, the way he’s achieved that has been very, very impressive as well. There’s really not been much controversy at all. I can’t really debate any of his accolades whatsoever. I think for me that’s also a very important part. Both the stats, but also the way he’s achieved it. I think everyone knows how talented he is and what he’s been able to do for the sport as a whole. Congrats on 400.”
Fernando Alonso
The only other active driver on the grid to share this accomplishment with Hamilton is none other than Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, who holds the record for most race starts in F1 with 444. The Spaniard added that with the longer season calendars, he expects many drivers to reach this milestone much earlier.
Nonetheless, he praised Hamilton for his impressive and dominant career in the sport thus far as he celebrates his 400th F1 race start.
“Yes, of course. I think, yes, it’s a big number. More and more drivers, I think, will join the club with these very long calendars. I think if you race 10 years now, you are more than 250. But yes, Lewis obviously has had an incredible career in Formula One and 400 races, all of them in a very competitive position. Congratulations to him and hopefully a good race and good weekend for him.”
