Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton ties Ayrton Senna record in Spain
By Asher Fair
Lewis Hamilton secured his fifth consecutive Spanish Grand Prix victory, tying an all-time Formula 1 record that had been held by Ayrton Senna.
With his victory in last year’s Spanish Grand Prix at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Lewis Hamilton secured the 10th streak of at least four consecutive victories in the same Formula 1 race.
Hamilton himself had pulled off such a feat twice before, winning the British Grand Prix at Silverstone Circuit every year from 2014 to 2017 as well as the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas every year from 2014 to 2017.
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The Mercedes driver took the pole position for today’s Spanish Grand Prix ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, but it was Verstappen who took the lead in the first turn on the opening lap.
However, a late call to pit for new tires allowed Hamilton to run down Verstappen in the closing laps.
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On lap 60 of the 66-lap race around the 16-turn, 2.892-mile (4.654-kilometer) road course in Montmelo, Catalonia, Spain, Hamilton took the lead back from Verstappen in turn one, and he went on to secure his third victory through four races in the 2021 season and open up a 14-point lead in the driver standings.
As a result, Hamilton, now a 98-time race winner and a six-time Spanish Grand Prix winner, has won the Spanish Grand Prix in five consecutive seasons. The only driver who had ever managed to win the same race in five straight seasons? Ayrton Senna, who won the Monaco Grand Prix at Circuit de Monaco every year from 1989 to 1993.
Should Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya return to the schedule for a 32nd consecutive season in 2022, and should Hamilton re-sign with Mercedes for a 10th season next year, he would have a shot to break that record and become the first driver to ever win the same race in six straight seasons.
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Next up on the 2021 Formula 1 calendar is the Monaco Grand Prix, which Hamilton has won three times. The sport’s most recent trip to Circuit de Monaco came in 2019, as the race was canceled last year due to COVID-19-related restrictions, and it was Hamilton who prevailed. This race is set to be broadcast live on ESPN beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, May 23.