In Picture: Young Lewis Hamilton and former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone. Credit: Getty Images
Long before Lewis Hamilton turned out to be one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time, Bernie Ecclestone credited him for bringing back F1 from the dead. Hamilton made his debut in 2007, and it was the same year when Ecclestone, the former F1 boss credited him with resurrecting the sport.
Following the conclusion of the 2006 F1 season, Michael Schumacher decided to retire from F1. The departure of a driver of his stature from the sport meant a magnanimous blow for F1, its broadcasting, and its popularity.
At the time when Ecclestone and his company were searching for the next poster boy of Formula 1, Hamilton dropped in. The brilliant young driver did wonders in the junior category and made his way to the pinnacle of motorsports.
