Sir Lewis Hamilton is undoubtedly one of the greatest drivers in the history of Formula 1. The Mercedes driver has the record seven F1 world championships, tied with legendary driver Michael Schumacher. Since his F1 debut with McLaren 15 years ago, Hamilton has consistently impressed every season with his breathtaking performances and his fierce fights at the front of his grid. The Briton has spent the most part of his career fighting for race wins.
Not just that, Lewis took his racing skills to the next level when he made a move to Mercedes Racing. The partnership between Hamilton and the Silver Arrows created a new era of domination from the German outfit. The Briton joined Mercedes in 2013 and won six championships with them in nine years. He also led the Silver Arrows to eight straight constructors’ championships.
Hamilton dominates the list for most points in a season by any driver and most wins with a single team. The 37-year-old also holds the record for the most GP wins (103), most podiums (186), and most pole positions (103) by any F1 driver. However, the 2022 season has not been the same for Hamilton. Mercedes have struggled with the new aerodynamic regulations, resulting in porpoising and the lack of performance in their newly designed W13 car. As a result, Lewis has not been able to fight at the front for crucial championship points. He is only sixth in the current championship and has not won a race so far.
Hamilton To Achieve Rare Milestone Amid A Tough Season
This season has been like salt to wounds after the Briton lost his eighth championship to Max Verstappen at Abu Dhabi last season. Hamilton lately struggled to finish within the top five after his opening race podium in Bahrain. But, things have changed a bit late as Lewis clinched three back-to-back podiums in Canada, Silverstone, and Austria. Despite all the difficulties, Hamilton has shown reliability like no other current driver. He is the only driver in the current championship to have finished every single race. Moreover, he is ready to set another rare record in F1 during the upcoming French Grand Prix.
During the upcoming weekend, Hamilton will become the sixth F1 driver to have 300-race starts in his career. The 37-year-old will join the elite list of veteran drivers like Michael Schumacher, Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, and Rubens Barrichello. Raikonnen has the most 349 race starts in F1, while Alonso and Barrichello have 344 and 322 starts each. Moreover, Schumacher and Button are tied at 306 race starts under their belt. Thus, Alonso is the most experienced F1 driver on the grid currently. But, Hamilton has been the most successful with the most wins. The next driver who could make it to the 300-race club would be Sebastian Vettel, who has 289 starts so far.
This is not the end. Lewis could establish another record if he manages to win a trace this season. The season has been tough so far. But the recent upgrades and the performance boost have generated hopes that a race win is definitely possible at some point during the second half of the season. If Hamilton wins a race in 2022, he will become the only driver to have won a race every single season he has raced in F1.