WHETHER on a racetrack or a public road, there is such a thing as too much time behind the wheel for Lewis Hamilton. “I do like driving,” he says, almost defensively, “but I hate sitting in a car for more than a couple of hours.”

You can see his point. Even though he spends less time racing than any other Formula One driver — because he’s the quickest — he doesn’t like to take his work home.

Off the track, he’s happy to be a passenger in one of his three chauffeured cars: a Mercedes-Maybach S 600, a Mercedes GL 63 and a Cadillac Escalade.

He’s previously talked about the perils of being recognised at traffic lights, where admirers try to gain bragging rights by racing him. The last thing he wants is a burn-up at the traffic lights, he has said. “There’s just no point risking it.”

He keeps “something like 15 cars”, eight of which he classes as “special”. Divided between his main residence in Monaco and a garage he rents in Los Angeles, they include a pair of original Shelby Cobras and a Mustang, a Ferrari 599 SA Aperta, two LaFerraris, a McLaren P1 and a £1.6m custom Pagani Zonda 760.

Space will have to be made for the Mercedes-AMG Project One (pictured), of which he’ll receive one of the first next year. It’ll be powered by the same 1,020bhp hybrid engine as his company car.

It’s an impressive collection for a boy from Stevenage who got interested in cars when, aged six, his father bought him a radio-controlled model. Two years later, he started karting and was talent-spotted by McLaren.

“So many sportsmen — sportswomen are generally a smarter species — have squandered their money. I’m very conscious of that”

After passing his driving test in 2002, he got a second-hand Mini Cooper, followed by a Mercedes C 200, which was lent to him by a dealership.

“That was very cool when you’re only 18,” he says of the C-class. “It went down very well with the ladies! Me and my boys couldn’t get into clubs because we looked underage, but once we started rolling up in the C-class we were straight in!

“The things we did to get into a crappy bar in Stevenage . . . so funny.”

He made his F1 debut in 2007, missing the title by one point, then returned in flying form the next season, securing the championship for McLaren on the final corners of the final race.

Hamilton went on to win the world title with Mercedes in 2014, 2015 and 2017 and is now the second most successful grand prix driver of all time, with 65 wins (Michael Schumacher retired in 2012 with 91).

He was favourite to win this year’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone, which would have been a record sixth British GP victory, and put the car on pole position but was hit by Kimi Räikkönen’s Ferrari on the opening lap and had to fight his way back up the order, eventually finishing second.

His winnings have made him wealthy — according to The Sunday Times Rich List, the 33-year-old’s personal fortune stands at £159m. He may yet overtake David Beckham as the nation’s richest sports star.

So what does he do with it? Not surprisingly, he regards cars as a safe place to put his money.

“Banks are doing nothing these days,” he scoffs. “So many sportsmen — sportswomen are generally a smarter species — have squandered their money. I’m very conscious of that.

“I don’t know anything about wine. I don’t know a huge amount about art. But what I do know is cars, and I’m very particular about them.”

After the Mini, the next car Lewis bought with his own money was a Ferrari 599 GTO, which he only recently sold.

He’s kept the 599 SA Aperta, though. “Only 80 were made. I tend to have two of the same car, because when they bring out a more limited edition I have to have it.”

Likewise, in LA, he keeps a candy red LaFerrari hardtop and a pearl white LaFerrari Aperta, values of which have soared from £2m to £7.5m.

“I could sell them all for way more than I paid for them, but these are my babies, my art pieces, and I’ve worked hard for them.”