New Delhi: Lewis Hamilton is one of the best drivers who has ever graced the world of racing ever. The English driver’s association with Mercedes is the tale of folklore. Since his first day in F1 he has been with the team winning six of his seven World Championship with Mercedes-AMG Petronas team and once with McLaren-Mercedes.
Hamilton’s records speak miles about the driver he is. He leaves behind a huge legacy at Mercedes as he makes his move to Ferrari in 2025 after 12 years with the team. Of his 105 race victories, 84 came at Mercedes while he took 78 of his 104 pole positions with the team. As he makes his move to the legendary team, here’s a look at some of the high points of Hamilton’s career at Mercedes.
US GP 2015 win hands Hamilton his third Championship
A tense title-decider… no cap 😳🧢
The Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg faced off in Austin 2015, with drama both on track and off it!#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/NINDRL1vkC
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 15, 2024
Hamilton secured his second Championship at Mercedes as they finished one and two. Heading into the race, Hamilton already had a 67 lead over the second-placed Sebastian Vettel in the Driver’s Championship. The win for the British driver came after Nico Rosberg made a mistake in the 47th lap of the race, which saw Hamilton take the lead from Rosberg.
The pair had already crashed in the opening lap itself as Hamilton tried to take away the lead position from the German driver. However, a brilliant driving from Rosberg saw him take the lead. After the race, Rosberg had initially congratulated Hamilton. However, appeared furious when Hamilton threw the “second place” cap at Rosberg, who threw it back.
2018 German Grand Prix, 14th to first
Critics gave Hamilton little chance to even make a podium finish let alone win the race, when the Mercedes driver started at 14th after a hydraulic failure in the qualifying. It took Hamilton only 67 laps to prove them wrong. When parts of the track was hit by rain with 25 laps still to go, Hamilton was placed in fourth.
Race leader Vettel couldn’t negotiate the rain well enough and crashed in the 51st lap in his Ferrari. Hamilton’s amazing driving saw him go from the 14th and into the lead. Threatening his position was Valtteri Botas, his teammate with fresher tyres. It was the first time that Hamilton had started outside the top six and claimed a victory. The win gave Hamilton a 17-point lead from Vettel in the Championship.
Silverstone 2020: Win on three tyres
Throughout his career, Hamilton has managed to defeat the odds but nothing matches his driving at the Silverstone 2020. In a season that was already challenging, Hamilton suffered front-left tyre failure halfway into the final lap of the British Grand Prix. With Max Verstappen gunning down a first place-finish, it was down to Hamilton for defending his place.
With race enigneer Pete “Boni” Bonnington counting the diminishing gap between Verstappen and Hamilton over the team radio, Hamilton managed to negotiate the curves to take home a record seven time victory at the British Grand Prix. Hamilton reflected post-race that it was “the most dramatic finish” to a race.
Breaking Michael Schumacher’s most wins record
Eight weeks from the dramatic finish in the British Grand Prix came Hamilton’s feat in the Portuguese Grand Prix. Starting on medium tyres, Hamilton fell behind, with Carlos Sainz of McLaren-Renault leading the race. However, Hamilton was able to recover as he went on to overtake Bottas and Sainz for his 92nd F1 victory.
He had broken Michael Schumacher’s record for most wins ever as Mercedes finished one and two. Bottas was 25.592s behind Hamilton, the second-biggest winning margin of the season. Hamilton appeared emotional after the win as he went on to thank his team and noted that it was the collaboration between the two that had made his dreams possible. He would end the season with a record equalling Championship with Michael Schumacher.
Sao Paulo 2021
Two years on from the 2021 São Paulo GP 💚💛 pic.twitter.com/5WmWhwTR59
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) November 14, 2023
The 2021 season saw the Red Bull and Mercedes rivalry at its best with Hamilton and Verstappen both fighting for the championship. It was after four consecutive title wins that Hamilton looked to be hunted by his rival. The weekend in Sao Paulo was marked by numerous grid penalties and a disqualification during qualifying due to a rear-wing violation.
In the sprint qualifying, Hamilton started last but managed to finish fifth. However, another penalty meant he started the race. Still, he was able to overtake Max Verstappen with just 12 laps left, as he fought in one of his best wins ever. While the final race would be robbed of his eighth title, the win kept him in contention for a title win for the final time at Mercedes.
As Lewis Hamilton races for the final time in the Mercedes colours, here’s a look at some of the highs in his career with the team. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
