As Lewis Hamilton prepares to attempt to secure a record eighth Formula 1 world championship, let’s take a look back at the turning point in his career.
The 2020 Formula 1 season saw Lewis Hamilton break countless all-time records, the most notable one being Michael Schumacher’s wins record of 91. After entering the year with 84 wins, he won 11 races to solidify himself as the sport’s winningest driver of all-time.
The then 36-year-old Briton also solidified his seventh career world championship, tying Schumacher’s record. He has now won four titles in a row and six in the last seven seasons.
After a lengthy negotiation period, Hamilton finally signed a new deal to return to Mercedes for the ninth season in 2021 back in February, and he entered the year eyeing a record-breaking eighth world championship as well as his spot as the first ever 100-race winner.
While the 22-race 2021 season has seen arguably his most intense championship battle yet with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and the two are level on points heading into Sunday’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit, he has overcome what was once a 33-point deficit in the driver standings to get to this point, and he has surpassed the 100-win mark in doing so, currently sitting at 103.
The one question that remains for 2021 is this: can he secure career title number eight?
Before Sunday’s decisive race takes place, let’s take a look back at the turning point in his career.
Hamilton arrived at Mercedes alongside Nico Rosberg in the 2013 season, replacing Schumacher. The 2013 season was his seventh season in the sport, and he entered the year as a world champion, having won the title in 2008.
He won just one race in 2013 while Rosberg won two, but he was able to finish two spots higher than his teammate in the driver standings. In 2014, the V6 turbo hybrid era began, and with that, the era of Mercedes dominance.
Many look back now at Hamilton’s most recent six championships, all of which have been won in the last seven seasons, and his four titles in a row and point to the car. It’s not a completely unfair assessment, but at the same time, coming up shy just once in an entire seven-year span speaks for itself.
But it wasn’t always that easy for Hamilton. Take a brief look back at the 2014 season.
If not for an engine issue in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, when he started from the pole position, Hamilton would have started the season five for five. Rosberg won the opener but finished runner-up to his teammate in the next four races.
However, the next seven races were anything but kind to Hamilton, as he won just once, finished runner-up to Rosberg only twice and was forced to retire in two other events. Rosberg, meanwhile, scored three victories.
Following the Belgian Grand Prix at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, the 12th of 19 races on the schedule, Rosberg led Hamilton by 29 points, more than the 25-point gap needed to be safe by a full race win, in the driver standings. His lead was 220 to 191.
The next race ultimately changed the trajectory of Hamilton’s career.
Now, we’re not saying that he wouldn’t have won dozens upon dozens of races over the next several years anyway had the next race not panned out like it did. And we’re certainly not saying he wasn’t successful before this race.
But he simply wouldn’t have what is practically an unblemished record, save for a few decisive moments that took place five seasons ago, since the hybrid era began.
Hamilton took the pole position for the Italian Grand Prix at Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, but due to a terrible start, he quickly lost the lead to Rosberg, who led the first 23 laps of the 53-lap race around the 11-turn, 3.6-mile (5.794-kilometer) road course in Monza, Italy before making a pit stop. Two laps later, Rosberg retook the lead when Hamilton came into the pits.
Three laps later, this happened.
Take a look at the video (must watch on YouTube itself), with the decisive moment coming at 1:25.
Hamilton went on to lead the race’s final 25 laps to secure the victory, and that started a streak of five consecutive victories that propelled him to his second world championship.
Despite winning six of the seven titles since that moment, only once has he gone on another five-race winning streak.
You simply cannot overlook the importance of that moment.
“There’s almost a smile on the face of [Mercedes team principal] Toto Wolff!” remarked Sky Sports announcer David Croft after the Monza incident.
Formula 1 fans not fond of Hamilton and those who suggest that he has had, has, and will always have preferential treatment within the team still have a good time with that one to this day.
Hamilton went on to win the title over Rosberg again in 2015, and if not for an engine issue in the 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit, he probably would have won it again over his rival in 2016. Of course, had that happened, Rosberg may not have retired before the 2017 season. But we’ll never know.
Hamilton could easily be an eight-time overall and seven-time reigning world champion at this moment. Fortunately for him, the Sepang issue was also somewhat of a turning point. He won four of the season’s final five races after that, and while he didn’t win the title that year, he hasn’t lost another one since.
Will this remain true after this Sunday’s 58-lap race around the revamped 16-turn, 3.281-mile (5.280-kilometer) Yas Marina Circuit road course on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates?
This is the final race of this era before the upcoming rules and regulations overhaul, an overhaul which could potentially alter the hierarchy within the sport.
But for right now, Hamilton has a chance to become the first ever eight-time world champion, just months after becoming the first ever 100-race winner.
This Sunday’s race is set to be broadcast live on ESPN2 beginning at 7:55 a.m. ET .Start your free trial of FuboTV now and don’t miss any of the action!