By Gabriel Araujo
SAO PAULO, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton will celebrate the 400th Formula One start of a glittering career at this weekend's Sao Paulo Grand Prix, with rivals hailing the seven-time world champion's longevity, speed and enduring hunger for success.
The 41-year-old Briton, Formula One's most successful driver with a record 106 race wins and 105 pole positions, reaches the milestone still competing at the front and showing little sign of slowing down.
"It's kind of crazy. I never
ever thought that I would be reaching numbers like that," Hamilton told reporters on Thursday.
"I still feel young, and regardless of the things that people say, you saw my pole last week (in Mexico). I still have the pace, I still have the speed, I still have the dedication, which is most important, and the focus."
Hamilton is third in the drivers' championship, two points behind Red Bull's Max Verstappen. He claimed his record-extending 105th pole position in Mexico last week but finished second after a clash with Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc.
Hamilton made his Formula One debut with McLaren in 2007 and won his first championship a year later.
He secured six more titles with Mercedes between 2014 and 2020 before joining Ferrari last season. Only Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, 45, has made more grand prix starts, with the double world champion closing in on 450 races.
While Hamilton said the round number itself was not especially meaningful to him, he acknowledged the significance of reaching it in Brazil, a country where he enjoys enormous popularity and was made an honorary citizen in 2022.
"For me, that number is kind of irrelevant. But it's beautiful to be able to have that here in Brazil," he said.
McLaren's Lando Norris said Hamilton's career remained a benchmark for younger drivers hoping to build similar longevity, while adding performances this season had dispelled any doubts about his competitiveness.
"I think it's a pretty incredible achievement for him to fight for this long. He's a good inspiration for many of us," said the 2025 world champion.
"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 and his age, his form, and makes me believe more than ever that I could fight for many, many more years, and that's something I look forward to doing."
Audi's Nico Hulkenberg also praised Hamilton's determination to continue competing despite having already surpassed nearly every major record in the sport.
"He could have easily retired many times and said, 'that's enough'," Hulkenberg, 39, said. "Fair play and respect to him that he still puts in the work, still wants this, and still does this."
(Reporting by Gabriel Araujo, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
