Lewis Hamilton, one of the greatest racers of all time, turns 36 today. Over the course of the last 13 years of his professional career, the Brit has etched his name in the Formula 1 record books that will probably never fade away.
He shares the record of seven World Drivers Championship titles with Michael Schumacher and it’s only a matter of time before he beats that too. He holds the record for most wins and most podium finishes having done it 95 and 165 times respectively. From his debut in 2007 till now, Hamilton has given us countless thrilling memories. Let us recall some of his finest moments.
- Germany, 2018
Hockenheim 2018 was clearly one of the most memorable performances of Hamilton’s career when he came back from number 14 to win the race. After losing title momentum to Sebastian Vettel, he seemed out of the contest, He recovered taking advantage of the wet-dry conditions to close in on Vettel, who under tremendous pressure crashed into the gravel. This was the first time Hamilton had recovered from behind number 6 position. It brought him his fifth title.
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- Monaco, 2019
Hamilton was up against one of the toughest rising superstars Max Verstappen, who remained in his wing mirrors for the most part of the race. But things became difficult after Mercedes put Hamilton on the medium tyres for the last 64 laps. His rivals Verstappen and Vettel had the advantage of the harder rubber. Hamilton had to drive every lap perfectly to keep Verstappen off his back. At one moment his rival almost touched him, but Hamilton managed to avoid it and came out on top. He called it one of the toughest races of his career.
- Canadian Grand Prix, 2007
This was 22-year-old Hamilton’s first-ever Formula 1 victory. He had achieved podium finishes five times before the Canada victory and he made it to the top on his sixth opportunity. He survived four deployments of the safety car to finish before Nick Heidfeld and Alexander Wurz.
- Hungary, 2013
The switch from McLaren to Mercedes had invited a lot of pessimism from various quarters but Hamilton braved the odds to beat two of his toughest competitors: Vettel and Raikkonen. Before the finish, he had taken pole position but a victory seemed unimaginable. But he displayed a great sense of judgment and error-free execution to bag the win.
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- Britain, 2008
Racing before his countrymen, it was indeed a special occasion for the young racer, who had already established himself as one of the most promising stars. On the given day, Hamilton absolutely crushed the competition as he moved from the fourth position to the second and then moved in front and ended with a margin of over one minute. It was undoubtedly one of his finest days.