This weekend’s French Grand Prix will mark Hamilton’s 300th F1 race, with the seven-time world champion set to become just the sixt🧜h driver in history to reach the milestone. 

Hamilton is in line to surpass former McLaren teamm𓆏ate Jenson Button and fellow seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher in the list by the end of the 2022 season.🍬 

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Ahead of the Paul Ricard race, Hamilton named Alp🐈ine driver Alonso as the strongest competitor he has ever faced in F1. 

The pair experienced a fierce rivalry as teammates at McLaren 🐈during Hamilton’s rookie F1 c🦩ampaign in 2007. 

Two-time world champion Alonso and Hamilto🦩n have not competed against each other at the 🐻front of the F1 grid since the Spaniard’s spell at Ferrari between 2010 and 2014. 

“I think it’s difficult to say who has necessarily been my strongest competitor, because every time you’re with someone you're in a different place🌼 of your life,” said Hamilton. 

"I remember the task of being alongside Fern🅷ando when I was 22, you know, I was so young mentally and of course –൩ OK in terms of skill – but it’s a lot of pressure to go up against a great like him. 

“So I would say out of pure pace, I think i would say it’s Fernando, and ability. We had some good battles, I🎉 wish we could have more. Hopefully 𝓰he will continue to race, and hopefully we will have more in the future.” 

Does Hamilton have a standout race? 

Asked if one race is a particular standout for him, Hamilton replied: “I thinᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚk the first grand prix is always going to be one, and your first win, I would say those two – or your home Grand Prix as well.” 

“Probably those three are the stand out ones – 2008, 2007 – just because the whole realisation of reaching your dream is a very surreal experi෴ence. 

“And it is always just going to be your first, there’s only one first, and so just getting to the first Gran🐼d Prix in 2007, the amount of sleepless nights as a family that all of us had had, not knowing whether or not we would reach our goal or reach our dream but never giving up, nonetheless, but being there.&nꦉbsp;

“That’s probably the real highlight.”

When will Hamilton’s next win come? 

ꦍHamilton is currently enduring his longest winless run after failing to claim a victory since last year’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. 

Incidentally, no driver that has surpaꦏssed 300 grand prix has gone on to win another race in their career. 

Hamilton remains the on🔯ly driver in F1’s history to have won at least one race in every season he has competed. He has 11 races left to continue that remarkable run. 

But the 37-year-old insists h꧂e is not concerned about statistics. 

“It doesn’t faze me because I am working towards g𓃲etting that win,” he sa👍id. 

“I do believ🔯e we will at some stage be able to compete with these guys. Whetheওr it is this weekend or in five races time.