7-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has recalled how he effectively raced with one hand to win a championship when he was 15 in order to keep his McLaren contract and potentially save his motorsport career.

Hamilton will go down as one of the motorsport greats, with him breaking nearly every record there is to break in Formula 1.

A joint-leading 7-time champion with Michael Schumacher, too, Hamilton deserves to be in the conversation as to who is the greatest racing driver of all time but, after overcoming adversity to deliver a good result at the Spanish Grand Prix last weekend, Lewis took to Instagram to recall another tough moment in his life that could have led to a very different career.

When he was 15, he fell off of his bike and hurt his wrist to the extent where it was broken and he would have to compete in that year's European Formula A championship massively hindered by it.

Knowing that his McLaren contract could be on the line if he did not compete and get results, though, Hamilton revealed how, in typical Lewis style, he took the challenge on:

"When I was 15 I fell off my bike and hurt my wrist.

"The next day I was in so much pain I walked myself to the hospital where doctors told me it was broken and I needed a cast. I had just started the European Formula A championship and this meant I wouldn’t be able to compete.

"I was so terrified, I could not afford to lose my McLaren contract. So I did what I had to do: had the cast removed, put on a lighter weight one, and raced one-handed. I won that championship.

"I’ve known since then that I can overcome anything when I fight for it. Whether it’s driving with an injured wrist or fighting my way up the grid like I did last weekend. The same is true for you. Fight for what you want. You’ll get it."

Wind forward 22 years and we have a 7-time champion in our midst who appears to be finding his mojo once again after a tough start to the season.

The Mercedes car looked a lot stronger at the Spanish Grand Prix and Hamilton's race pace was excellent, with him climbing up from 19th at the end of lap one after a collision with Kevin Magnussen to finish 5th.

He'll be looking for another positive result in Monaco this weekend, then, as the F1 circus heads to the streets of Monte-Carlo.