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Formula 1: Ranking Lewis Hamilton’s 4 gift-wrapped victories of 2018

By Asher Fair

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL - NOVEMBER 11: Race winner Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP celebrates on the podium during the Formula One Grand Prix of Brazil at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace on November 11, 2018 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
SAO PAULO, BRAZIL - NOVEMBER 11: Race winner Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP celebrates on the podium during the Formula One Grand Prix of Brazil at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace on November 11, 2018 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) /
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SOCHI, RUSSIA – SEPTEMBER 30: Race winner Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP and second placed Valtteri Bottas of Finland and Mercedes GP (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
SOCHI, RUSSIA – SEPTEMBER 30: Race winner Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP and second placed Valtteri Bottas of Finland and Mercedes GP (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) /

#4 – Russian Grand Prix

Valtteri Bottas took the pole position for the 53-lap Russian Grand Prix, which was the 16th race of the season, around the 18-turn, 3.634-mile (5.848-kilometer) Sochi Autodrom road course in Sochi, Krasnodar Krai, Russia, and he dominated the early stages of it.

On lap 25, he was running in second place ahead of Lewis Hamilton third. Both drivers trailed Max Verstappen, who had not yet made his pit stop after carving through the field from 19th place on the starting grid.

But it was on this lap when Mercedes gave the order to the 29-year-old Finn to let Hamilton, who had still not clinched the 2018 driver championship, pass him. They told him that Hamilton had blisters on his tires and risked being passed by Sebastian Vettel, his championship rival.

Once Verstappen made his pit stop, Hamilton took the lead. It was clear that he and Bottas would finish the race in first and second place and that his blistered tires would not end up affecting anything. As a result, Bottas asked Mercedes on the radio when he and his teammate would be swapping positions back.

He was told that this would not happen and that Hamilton would be the race winner. Hamilton did go on to win the race with Bottas behind him in second place.

Many fans, especially non-Hamilton fans, will argue that this victory should be higher on this list. After all, it was literally handed to the 33-year-old Briton.

But the fact is, whether you like them or not, team orders are a part of Formula 1. Given the championship situation at the time of this race, you could even argue that Hamilton’s victory in it was somewhat if not fully expected.

While Mercedes’ use of team orders in this race ended up not meaning anything as far as the driver championship is concerned, as Hamilton is set to win the championship by far, far more than seven points over Vettel, it doesn’t change the fact that team orders are completely legal and justified. After all, Hamilton had not yet clinched the championship by the time this race took place.

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