Rookie Hamilton’s Bold Defiance: How He Overruled Ron Dennis for Iconic Top Gear Lap in Humble Suzuki Liana

In a revealing anecdote that highlights the early sparks of independence in Lewis Hamilton’s storied career, former Top Gear and The Grand Tour executive producer Andy Wilman has disclosed how the then-rookie Formula 1 sensation personally intervened to ensure his appearance on the BBC show’s legendary “Star in a Reasonably Priced Car” segment – insisting on driving the modest Suzuki Liana rather than a flashy Mercedes supercar demanded by McLaren boss Ron Dennis.

Wilman shared the behind-the-scenes drama during a recent appearance on the Midweek F1 podcast, painting a vivid picture of the clash between corporate control and a young driver’s passion for the iconic motoring programme. The episode in question stemmed from Hamilton’s first visit to the Dunsfold Aerodrome test track, coming hot on the heels of his sensational 2007 debut F1 season – a year in which the 22-year-old Briton narrowly missed out on the world championship by a single point to Kimi Räikkönen, despite nine podiums and four wins in his McLaren MP4-22.

“Well, the first time he came down, I think it was when he just lost that rookie season, the championship by [one point],” Wilman recalled. “So McLaren is still Ron Dennis days, so we’re getting all Ron Dennis-ish-ness coming down the phone, like ‘he’s in a Suzuki Liana,’ you know?”

The tension escalated when McLaren’s PR head at the time, Matt Bishop, relayed Dennis’s directive: “Oh, Ron wants him to do it in like an SLR.” The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, a high-performance grand tourer co-developed with McLaren, represented the pinnacle of luxury and speed – a far cry from the humble, £9,995 Suzuki Liana that was the cornerstone of Top Gear‘s celebrity lap segment.

Wilman and the Top Gear team pushed back fiercely, emphasising the segment’s egalitarian ethos. “And we’re like, ‘It’s not the point, like… same car,’” Wilman recounted. “And he went, ‘Yeah, you know what Ron’s like.’ And Ron’s gone, ‘Yeah, but he’s a Mercedes man.’ And we’re like, ‘Jesus Christ, Ron, is anybody going to go, well, I’m going to buy a Liana now. Not going to buy that S-Class.’”

Ultimately, it was Hamilton himself who stepped in to override his boss. “And then I think Lewis stepped in even as a kid and went, ‘I’m doing Top Gear,’ because he was such a kid and he’d grown up watching it, you know?” Wilman explained. “So, it was a red-letter day for him. Now, obviously now he’s stratospheric and everything bows to him, but back then he was like, ‘I’m coming down.’”

This act of youthful rebellion foreshadowed Hamilton’s assertive personality, which would define his career – from tense negotiations with McLaren to his blockbuster moves to Mercedes and later Ferrari. In 2007, under Dennis’s stringent regime at McLaren (where Mercedes was the engine partner), drivers were tightly controlled, with image and branding paramount. Dennis, known for his meticulous, no-nonsense approach, viewed the Liana as beneath a “Mercedes man,” potentially diluting the brand’s premium aura.

Yet Hamilton, a lifelong Top Gear fan raised on the antics of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May, refused to compromise. His determination paid off: Despite wet conditions handicapping his run, Hamilton posted a highly competitive 1:44.7 – matching Jenson Button’s time and placing him near the top of the F1 drivers’ leaderboard for the Liana era.

Hamilton would return years later in 2013, after switching to Mercedes, to set an even faster dry lap of 1:42.9, reclaiming the record from Sebastian Vettel. But his debut appearance remains iconic, not just for the lap but for the off-track drama it entailed.

The Suzuki Liana, introduced in Top Gear‘s revamped format in 2002, endured over 1,600 laps and countless celebrity mishaps before retirement in 2005 for regular stars (replaced by a Chevrolet Lacetti), though F1 drivers continued using it for fairness. It levelled the playing field, allowing direct comparisons – Nigel Mansell topped early lists at 1:44.6, while later stars like Daniel Ricciardo eventually eclipsed Hamilton’s mark.

Wilman’s revelation arrives amid Hamilton’s challenging 2025 Ferrari debut, a “nightmare” season contrasting his early McLaren promise. Yet tales like this remind fans of the fearless rookie who, even under Dennis’s iron grip, carved his own path.

As Hamilton, now a seven-time champion, reflects on a career of defying odds, this Top Gear story encapsulates his enduring spirit: a kid from Stevenage who wouldn’t let anyone – not even Ron Dennis – dim his excitement for the ride.

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