Former McLaren mechanic: Lewis Hamilton was special from a young age

Former McLaren mechanic Marc Priestley has revealed how he knew five-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was special from an early age.

Priestley worked with Hamilton during his debut season in Formula 1, back in 2007, with the Brit having to drive alongside two-time world champion Fernando Alonso at McLaren.

But Hamilton surprised the F1 world as he bursted onto the scene to fully announce himself as a superstar in the sporting world.

"I worked at McLaren when there were stories that Lewis Hamilton would be promoted," Hamilton told Autosport. "He was not yet a Formula One driver at the time and was active in GP2.

Hamilton is the reigning world champion, nowadays, though, with Mercedes - after trumping Sebastian Vettel once again in 2018.