41-year-old Hamilton enters his 20th season of F1 with 380 Grands Prix under his belt, having achieved a record 105 wins, 104 pole positions, and seven world championships, equal only to Michael Schumacher.

Last season, however, was Hamilton’s worst in that time, as the Briton became the first Ferrari driver in 44 years to not score a podium in their first full season with the Scuderia - the prospect of an eighth world title had never been so far away, but Hamilton enters 2026 “still focused on the dream.”

Adding a picture for every season he’s completed, Hamilton reflected on his “ridiculous” F1 dream on Instagram in an emotional, inspiring message to his fans.

He wrote: “20 seasons as an F1 driver. It's hard to even grasp the reality of that number. It started with a dream. A dream some called ridiculous and said would never amount to anything.

“Despite that, the dream never changed, and I never stopped chasing it. A dream has to be matched with action and, above all, belief. Belief that doesn't break no matter what's thrown in your face or what you come up against.

“There will always be people who doubt you, people who try to block you, but you can't ever stop fighting.”

With the “incredible highs” of winning his seventh world title in 2020, came more recent lows after Hamilton brutally lost a potential eighth to Max Verstappen the following year, and struggled with the post-2022 ground effect cars with both Mercedes and Ferrari.

Hamilton continued: “Twenty years filled with incredible highs and brutal lows, with more mistakes than I can count. But those mistakes made the journey even sweeter. You hold the power to your destiny. Everything you need to succeed is within you. You will need help along the way, like I did, but that spark, that fire, is already inside you.

“I’m forever grateful for the lessons, the quiet moments, the chaos, and the many people who helped me chase and achieve my dreams.

“I’m grateful for the doubters and for the ones who tried to knock me down, too. I'm still here, 20 years on, still standing, still hungry, still focused on the dream. No holding back.”

Off the track, rumours continue to swirl on Hamilton's reported relationship with reality TV star Kim Kardashian, after TMZ shared apparent images of the pair at Lake Powell, Arizona.

Last month, Hamilton and Kardashian also appeared together at Super Bowl LX in San Francisco.