It was the worst time of my life,” Anthony says. "It’s difficult to explain it. I think I probably was too much of an ogre. It was, ‘Lewis, do this, do that.’ And it was, ‘Come on, Dad, I’m a grown man.’

The three-time champion lost none of his natural speed (he had the most poles and wins) yet lost the 2016 championship (by five points) to his hard-trying Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg. Their huge car advantage and the team’s policy of letting them fight freely led to a sometimes acrimonious title battle. Hamilton had more mechanical problems and made some driving errors that suggested a wavering focus caused by his continuing pursuit of a celebrity lifestyle. He denied this, saying “I probably drove with more heart his year. It took a lot more heart and courage to face the challenges”. In 2014, he did it the hard way, three times overhauling a points advantage built up by Rosberg while Hamilton suffered problems. In 2015, he won his third title at a canter, dominating from the start and clinching the championship with three races to go. And now, he is the most successful driver in the history of F1. He broke Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 wins last month, has equalled the German's record of seven world championships - and has every chance of adding an eighth next year.

The background of the story

In the British Grand Prix at Silverstone their high-speed collision sent Verstappen crashing violently into the barriers. While he was transferred to hospital for tests that found him badly shaken, Hamilton went on to win despite a time penalty after stewards found him predominantly to blame for the incident. At the Italian Grand Prix the duelling duo’s coming-together at Monza’s first corner ended terminally with the Red Bull perched precariously atop the Mercedes. For Hamilton, who escaped with wheel marks on his helmet, this was his first non-finish in 63 races. In the penultimate Saudia Arabian round, won by Hamilton ahead of Verstappen after yet another acrimonious altercation in which the Mercedes rear-ended the Red Bull, caused according to Hamilton by a dangerous ‘brake test’ manoeuvre for which his rival was assessed a time penalty. Enhancing the image of the sport was Lewis Hamilton’s dignified response to a crushing defeat that left him disillusioned and unsure of his future. It started to go wrong there,” Whitmarsh says. “Lewis should have on that occasion heeded the instructions of the team not to take excessive risk. Mercedes got better and better as the season went on, following Hamilton, who overpowered Ferrari’s dispirited Sebastian Vettel to take the driving title with two races to go, then scored victories in the final two events to vanquish Ferrari and seal the team championship for Mercedes. It was an agonising weekend. McLaren, knowing Hamilton needed only to finish fifth to clinch the title even if Massa won, took an overly conservative approach, Lowe admits. It led to one of the most spectacular finishes the sport has ever seen.

He replied: "I would be more than happy to race against Max in the same car. It would be wonderful. I don't think he wants me to be his team-mate." Most importantly, meeting the combined salaries of F1’s two most expensive drivers is simply beyond Red Bull’s financial means. Wolff says: “He’s almost philosophical about certain things. He spends a lot of time thinking. He is someone who hasn’t built his whole life on one particular pillar. It all circles around his driving. He is the F1 world champion. But now he is the F1 world champion and he’s a fighter for diversity, a fighter against racism. These are topics that go far beyond the racing driver. Wallace wrote that Hamilton’s “activism has moved the world”, adding: “Lewis’s mental preparation, his aura, his ability to capitalise on every opportunity to use his platform to drive out racism are more than just a model for race-car drivers and other athletes - he’s an inspiration for everyone." Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1, Toto Wolff (AUT) Mercedes AMG F1 Director of Motorsport and Nico Rosberg (GER) Mercedes AMG F1.Shoot!", he exclaimed while celebrating tearfully with his nearest and dearest, among them his glamorous pop singer girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger. "I'm ecstatic, very emotional, very thankful for my family, my team and everyone who has supported me in this fairy-tale story." Asked whether he thought it was strange for Horner to be talking about his contractual situation, Hamilton said: "Not really. If you really think about it, there are a lot of people here who really like to drop my name in conversations because they know it is going to make waves. Hamilton led the race in his McLaren, only for his gearbox to fail, gifting victory to Vettel. He had a final meeting with Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda in his hotel room. By the end of the weekend, a deal had been put together on which all parties had agreed. At the first race of the season, Alonso qualified second and Hamilton fourth, but at the start Hamilton pulled a move that set the tone for what was to come. He passed his team-mate around the outside of the first corner and ran confidently ahead of him for two thirds of the race.