Lewis Hamilton secured his fourth career Formula One championship with two races to go in the 2017 season in the Mexican Grand Prix, prompting talk about him possibly being the greatest driver in the history of the sport.
In the 18th race of the 20-race 2017 Formula One season, Lewis Hamilton clinched his fourth career championship after finishing in 9th place, as Sebastian Vettel, the other championship contender, only finished in 4th place, while he needed win to keep his title hopes alive since Hamilton finished 9th and scored 1 point.
Hamilton’s fourth championship in 11 seasons is his third in the last four seasons, and it has officially shot him into the debate as to who the greatest Formula One driver of all-time is. It tied him for 3rd place on the all-time championship list, and he trails only Michael Schumacher and Juan Manuel Fangio now on that list. Schumacher won seven championships and Fangio won five.
Hamilton is already the all-time pole recordholder. He tied and then passed Schumacher’s previous record of 68 career poles this season. Hamilton has started from the pole positions 72 times in his Formula One career now, and that total may continue to grow.
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Hamilton has won 62 career races, and he trails only Schumacher, who won 91, in that category. Hamilton’s win percentage, however, is higher than Schumacher’s, as Hamilton’s 62 wins have come in 206 races (30.10%), while Schumacher’s 91 victories came in 306 races (29.74%). At 32 years old, Hamilton could have several good years left in him to win even more races and championships as well.
Fangio’s win percentage is higher than both of those drivers. In fact, it is comfortably the highest ever among all drivers at 47.06%. However, he only drove in 51 races, winning 24 of them, so even the fact that he won five championships, a total behind only Schumacher’s record of seven, does not allow him to be considered Formula One’s best.
Therefore, there is no reason to believe that Hamilton is not better than Fangio was, and the case for Schumacher is the only case that can made from a statistical standpoint that can stand up against Hamilton’s case as the greatest driver in Formula One history. Hamilton certainly at least belongs in the debate, and him winning his fourth career championship proves it.
Next: Looking back at Lewis Hamilton's record-setting accomplishment
Despite the fact that Lewis Hamilton is the 2017 Formula One champion, the 2017 season is not yet over. In fact, two races remain. How will Hamilton be able to add to his legacy in those two races? The next Formula One race, the Brazilian Grand Prix, is set to take place on Sunday, November 12th at Autódromo José Carlos Pace and will be broadcast live on NBC at 11:00 AM ET. Don’t miss it.