Zak Brown claims Lewis Hamilton should already be an 8-time F1 champion

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown asserted that Lewis Hamilton should already have been an eight-time F1 world champion instead of the seven drivers' titles he currently possesses. The Briton was last engaged in a drivers' championship fight in 2021, where he was met with defeat after a controversial end to the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

Hamilton made his debut in 2007 and won his maiden championship in his sophomore year in the sport. Though he had to wait for a few years to end his title drought, this wait was worth it as he went on to win six of the eight drivers' titles during the turbo-hybrid era (2014-21).

His winning streak was only halted by two drivers: Nico Rosberg and Max Verstappen. While the 2016 championship ended without any major controversies, the same cannot be said for the 2021 championship.

The race has often left the F1 paddock polarized, and many have deemed that Hamilton should have been the race winner that night, and in turn, the title winner also. So, when Brown was faced with this question, whether the 40-year-old could still win an eighth world title, he told Race+:

"He actually should have been already."

Lewis Hamilton is a seasoned veteran in the F1 paddock and is on a multi-year contract with Ferrari.

---

Lewis Hamilton takes a jibe at former F1 drivers for their take on the younger driver's performance

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton at the 2025 F1 Grand Prix of Brazil - Source: Getty

Lewis Hamilton's debut in F1 was around two decades ago. When he arrived at the paddock, a host of expectations were imposed on him, a cycle that has been going on for rookies for ages.

Reflecting on how this is a plight for many drivers, he said (via RN365):

"I remember getting here [to F1] in 2007 and being one of them. It’s an amazing experience, but before you get here, you have all these preconceived ideas of what it would be like and most often, it kind of doesn’t equal to what you amounted it to be." "I’ve really always wanted to be a driver that’s… even when I leave here, I will always be someone that’s supporting the young, the youth. You know, you hear so many of these negative things coming from these older guys, these older drivers that more often than not, didn’t achieve much as it is. And I think I just love to see these guys that, just keeping their heads down, doing it with a smile and doing what they love and succeeding. So I’m as excited to see the progression of their careers."

Hamilton sits sixth in the interim standings. He has amassed 148 points in the 2025 season, with three race weekends still left on the calendar.

Edited by Geetansh Pasricha