GET IN THERE LEWIS!

With six world championships under his belt, Hamilton is the most successful British Formula 1 driver ever

- Yohann J Setna

WINNING A WORLD Championship in any sport is a big deal. It’s actually a huge deal. Just ask any sportsperson who has achieved this incredible milestone. In fact, ask just any sportsperson who has competed at a World Championship level and NOT won a World Championship. But to win SIX World Championships requires something quite different.

In the history of the Formula 1 World Championship, there have been 1,017 races (as of the 2019 Brazilian GP) with only 774 athletes fortunate enough to race a Formula 1 car in anger. Of these, only 108 have ever won a race, and only 33 have ever won a championship. That’s just over four per cent. Over half of those won only (if you can call it that) a single championship. The multiple World Champion Club is one of rarified air indeed. Only 10 drivers have won three or more Championships, and it is this ultrararified air that Lewis Hamilton breathes.

There are many records that Hamilton has already broken, and a few more which he can still achieve. Suffice it to say that he is one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time. I never like to get into this “who’s the best ever” argument; there’s never a right or wrong answer. Comparing across eras is just not a logical or accurate comparison. The world changes every day. Running the four-minute mile was once considered the holy grail of athletics until Roger Bannister broke that barrier in 1954. In the past 65 years, over 1,400 athletes have achieved and even better this. By the time he hangs up his helmet, Hamilton will have his name on many, if not almost all the records in the Formula 1 book.