Though a fan of his rival Sebastian Vettel, I couldn’t help but smile when Lewis Hamilton crossed the finish line in the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix and recorded a record-breaking 92nd win. As an avid Formula One fan, watching Hamilton’s journey from a teenage prospect to a dominating figure on the race track has been a memorable experience filled with moments of anxiety, misery, and excitement. Hamilton hitting his 50th Formula One victory milestone in the 2016 United States Grand Prix felt like yesterday, and seeing him break Michael Schumacher’s historical record of 91 wins reminds me of what a true fighter Hamilton is.
It all started with karting in 1993 when Hamilton was eight and quickly racking up race wins and cadet class championships. One day, ten-year-old Hamilton approached McLaren Formula One team boss Ron Dennis and told him, “Hi. I’m Lewis Hamilton. I won the British Championship and one day I want to be racing your cars.” To that, Dennis replied, “Phone me in nine years, we’ll sort out something then.” Hamilton was getting one step closer to achieving his ultimate dream of becoming a Formula One racer.
Not long after the encounter with Dennis, Hamilton secured his second British championship and an additional Super One series title: accomplishments that would get Hamilton signed to the McLaren driver development program, including a contract with an option of a future Formula One seat, as Dennis had promised. Following multiple successful seasons in Formula Renault, Formula Three, and Formula Two, Hamilton got his well-deserved opportunity to race under McLaren in Formula One: the beginning of what would be one of the greatest racing careers in motorsports history.
Following a podium finish in his Formula One debut, Hamilton finished runner-up in the 2007 World Drivers’ Championship to Ferrari’s Kimi Räikkönen by a single point. In the same season, the British driver set a record for the most consecutive podium finishes from debut, the joint-most wins in a debut season, and the most points in a debut season. The party had just begun.
Despite criticism regarding his arrogant and dangerous style of driving, Hamilton held his head high and amassed five victories and ten podium finishes––points that were just enough for the young Brit to beat Brazilian favorite Felipe Massa and clinch a Formula One World Championship; Hamilton’s first but certainly not his last. Nonetheless, Hamilton’s era with McLaren was coming to an end after a series of unsatisfactory races due to a less competitive car with mediocre machinery, but primarily because of Hamilton’s loss of motivation and focus. For the first time, Hamilton had been out-scored by teammate Jenson Button, and in the remaining four seasons, he failed to finish higher than fourth in the drivers’ standings. The public painted Hamilton as no more than a one-hit wonder.
“You can knock me down, but I get up twice as strong.” Hamilton stuck to his words. With a surprising move to Mercedes in 2013, Hamilton joined childhood karting teammate Nico Rosberg and proved his worth by winning the Hungarian Grand Prix, alongside five podium finishes and five pole positions. Regulation changes before the 2014 season, which mandated the use of turbo-hybrid engines, contributed to the start of a successful era for Hamilton as he found himself in the most dominant car on the grid. That year saw the Silver Arrows winning 16 of the 19 races, 11 of those secured by Hamilton, which was enough to earn his second World Championship trophy. The domination continued in the 2015 season; Hamilton won ten races, stood on the podium a record 17 times, and matched his hero Ayrton Senna’s three World Championship titles.
In 2016, despite recording more pole positions and race wins than any other driver, Hamilton saw the championship title slip away from his hands following an unfortunate engine blowout in Malaysia; Rosberg took advantage and edged out Hamilton by five points.
Hamilton and Mercedes once again proved their worth and came back sharper than ever. Lewis Hamilton was named 2017, 2018, 2019 World Champion, and secured his seventh title after winning the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix in November. And for Mercedes, the team recorded their seven consecutive World Constructors’ Championship––statistics that capture the endless, unrivaled hours the drivers, engineers, strategists, and mechanics have invested in the team.
While Hamilton earned the well-deserved respect on the track, he struggled and still faces racist abuse as the first and only black driver to race in Formula One. On one occasion, during the pre-season testing phase at the Circuit de Catalunya prior to the 2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Hamilton was mocked and verbally abused by spectators who wore black face paint and black wigs. Since then, Hamilton has constantly received discriminatory comments on social media platforms and online websites. Toto Wolff, Hamilton’s Mercedes team boss, noted how Hamilton was “scarred for life” by racist abuse inflicted during his teenage years. In a press conference in 2018, Hamilton condemned the lack of diversity in Formula One, pointing out how nothing had changed in the past eleven years. “Kids, people, there are so many jobs in this sport of which anybody, no matter your ethnicity or background, can make it and fit in.”
Hamilton’s racing career thus far has been a tumultuous one. Yet, when the odds were against him, Hamilton took a step back, reflected, and performed––signs of an activist and a fighter.
Comments