Formula One career of Lewis Hamilton

Hamilton's first Formula One win came at the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix.

In his first season in Formula One, Hamilton partnered defending double World Champion Fernando Alonso who had joined McLaren after leaving Renault. On his debut at the Australian Grand Prix, he finished third, becoming the 13th driver to finish on the podium on his debut.[note 2][3] At the next two rounds in Bahrain and Barcelona, Hamilton finished second behind Felipe Massa to take the lead in the Drivers' Championship,[4] to become the youngest driver ever to lead the World Championship.[5] After finishing second behind Alonso at Monaco, Hamilton suggested he was prevented from racing his teammate, but the FIA cleared McLaren following an investigation. Hamilton achieved both his first pole position and first victory of his Formula One career in the Canadian Grand Prix.[6] A week later Hamilton won the United States Grand Prix, becoming the first Briton since John Watson in 1983 to win a Formula One race in the US.[7]

Hamilton finished third at Magny-Cours behind Kimi Räikkönen and Felipe Massa, to extended his lead in the Drivers' Championship to 14 points.[8] In his first home Grand Prix at Silverstone, Hamilton finished third[9] to equal Jim Clark's 1963 record of 9 consecutive podium finishes for a British driver.[10] This run came to an end at the European Grand Prix where during qualifying, Hamilton crashed at the Schumacher chicane after a problem with a wheel nut.[11] He was unable to complete qualifying so started in tenth position.[12][13] During a heavy rainstorm which ultimately stopped the race, Hamilton slid off into a gravel trap, but managed to keep his engine running and was lifted back on to the circuit and able to rejoin the race after the restart. He went on to finish out of the points in ninth,[14] and was the first and only driver to have his car recovered by a crane and put back on the track during a race.[15] The FIA subsequently banned the use of mechanical assistance to move a car back on track.[16]

Hamilton after taking pole at the 2007 United States Grand Prix

Hamilton won the Hungarian Grand Prix from pole following a controversial qualifying session in which teammate Alonso, having set the fastest time, was given a five place grid penalty for preventing Hamilton from leaving the pit lane in time to complete his final lap.[17] After the race Hamilton declared that he had restored his relationship with Alonso.[18] At the Turkish Grand Prix Hamilton suffered a puncture and ultimately finished fifth.[19] Alonso beat Hamilton in the Italian and Belgian Grands Prix, reducing Hamilton's lead in the championship to just 2 points. He increased his lead to 12 points after winning the Japanese Grand Prix in heavy rain after Alonso crashed. After the race, Hamilton was investigated by the race stewards over his involvement in an incident behind the safety car, but was cleared ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix,[20] where Hamilton, starting from pole, retired after sliding into a gravel trap as he came into the pit lane. Hamilton went into the final race of the season four and seven points ahead of Alonso and Räikkönen respectively.[21]

In the Brazilian Grand Prix Hamilton finished seventh and Räikkönen won, which meant that Hamilton came second in the championship by a point. On the first lap Hamilton was passed by several cars and dropped to eighth; eight laps later he could not select a gear and ending up coasting for 40 seconds. He recovered to seventh place but Ferrari switched their two drivers allowing the championship to go to Räikkönen.[22][23][24] Hamilton took the record of Youngest World Drivers' Championship runner-up, at 22 years and 287 days, previously held since 1960 by Bruce McLaren at 23 years and 5 days; Hamilton's record has since been beaten by Sebastian Vettel in 2009. In October the FIA began investigating BMW Sauber and Williams for fuel irregularities; the BMW drivers had finished in fifth and sixth place, and if they were to be excluded Hamilton would be promoted to fifth and would win the 2007 Drivers World Championship by one point over Räikkönen. Ultimately neither team was penalised; McLaren appealed.[25] Hamilton subsequently told the BBC he did not want to win a Formula One title through the disqualifications of other drivers.[26]

Hamilton on the top podium position after winning the 2007 United States Grand Prix. He is flanked by teammate Fernando Alonso (left) and Felipe Massa (right).

A month after Alonso's departure, it was confirmed that Heikki Kovalainen would drive the second car for McLaren in 2008 alongside Hamilton,[27] who signed a new five-year multimillion-pound contract to stay with the team until 2012.[28] Hamilton won the first race of the season, the Australian Grand Prix, from pole.[29] In Malaysia, he finished fifth from ninth on the grid, serving a penalty for impeding Nick Heidfeld's qualifying lap.[30][31] He was back on the podium in Spain where he finished third,[32] before finishing second in Turkey,[33] and winning the Monaco Grand Prix to take the lead of the championship.[34] In Montreal, Hamilton crashed into the back of Räikkönen during the race, after failing to see that the Finn was waiting at a red light at the end of the pit lane as the whole field went past under the guide of the safety car, causing both cars to retire. Hamilton was given a 10-position grid penalty for the next race, the French Grand Prix.[35][36]

Hamilton won the first race of 2008 in Melbourne, Australia.

Despite an error in qualifying that saw him start fourth, Hamilton went on to win the British Grand Prix in difficult, wet conditions in a performance regarded as one of the best of his career.[37] In the next race at Hockenheim, Hamilton won despite a tactical blunder by his team's strategists.[38] Hamilton won the Belgian Grand Prix, but was later judged to have gained an unfair advantage by cutting a chicane to avoid hitting Räikkönen.[39] McLaren said that their telemetry showed Hamilton backed off to let Räikkönen past[40] but Hamilton was given a 25-second penalty, which relegated him to third and handed title rival Massa victory. Hamilton's lead in the Drivers' Championship was cut to two points, and an appeal by McLaren to the FIA World Motor Sport Council was rejected.[41] The Italian Grand Prix saw Hamilton finish seventh, and Hamilton's lead in the championship was reduced to one point.[42]

Hamilton finished third at the next race in Singapore, while Massa failed to score any points, allowing Hamilton to increase his championship lead to seven points.[43] In Fuji, Hamilton was given a drive-through penalty for forcing other cars off the track when he made an error on the first lap. Before he could serve the penalty Hamilton attempted to pass Massa, who hit him after making a mistake. Massa was later given a drive-through penalty for this move and Hamilton finished twelfth.[44] With just two races to go, Hamilton led the World Championship by five points from Massa. In China, Hamilton won the race to take a seven-point lead in the World Championship into the last race of the season. Speaking afterwards, Hamilton said "All weekend we have had God on our side as always, and the team did a phenomenal job in preparing the car, which has been a dream to drive."[45]

Hamilton and team celebrate his maiden Formula One World Championship title.

At the Brazilian Grand Prix, Hamilton needed to finish at least fifth, if Massa won the race, to secure the World Championship. Just before the race began a rain shower struck and Hamilton ran in fourth place before dropping down to sixth after pitting for dry tyres. Intermittent rainfall meant all drivers stopped multiple times between wet and dry tyres and, with three laps remaining and Massa leading the race, Hamilton was running in fifth and needed only to maintain position to secure the title. On the penultimate lap, Toro Rosso's Sebastian Vettel passed Hamilton, meaning the British driver started the final lap in sixth position and looking unable to retake fifth place from the German. However, on the final lap he and Vettel made up an 18-second gap to overtake Timo Glock, who was struggling on dry tyres, on the last corner to re-take fifth place and deny race-winner Massa the title by one point.[46][47] This made Hamilton the youngest driver to win the World Drivers' Championship at 23,[48][49] the first black driver,[50] and the first British driver to win the World Championship since Damon Hill in 1996.[51]

Hamilton driving for McLaren at the 2009 Malaysian Grand Prix

Hamilton started the season opener of the 2009 season in Australia from eighteenth on the grid after the McLaren team incurred a penalty for changing his gearbox during qualifying.[52] Hamilton benefited from a late crash between Vettel and Kubica to move into fourth place by the end of the race. He was then promoted to third after Jarno Trulli was penalised for overtaking him under safety-car conditions. During a post-race stewards' hearing, Hamilton and McLaren officials told stewards they had not purposely let Trulli pass, which was contradicted by the release of the McLaren race radio communication.[53] Hamilton was then disqualified from the race for providing "misleading evidence" during the stewards' hearing.[54] He later privately apologised to FIA race director Charlie Whiting for having lied to the stewards.[55] He went on to describe the incident as the hardest week of his life, and considered quitting Formula One.[56]

After failing to score points in five consecutive races, Hamilton made public calls to scrap the car and a former team owner and commentator Eddie Jordan described the MP4-24 as "possibly the worst car McLaren have ever designed".[57] However, after bringing upgrades to the car, McLaren and Hamilton's fortunes were reversed at the Hungaroring, the tenth round of the season where he won the race to take his 10th career win and the first for a KERS-equipped car.[58] McLaren's return to form continued in Valencia, where Hamilton finished second.[59] At the Singapore Grand Prix, Hamilton took his second win of the season.[60] He finished third at the Japanese and Brazilian Grands Prix. In the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Hamilton led the race, but retired on lap 20 due to a rear brake problem, his first technical-related retirement in Formula One.[61] Hamilton finished the season in fifth place in the World Drivers' Championship.[62]

Hamilton driving for McLaren in Malaysia, where he finished in sixth position after starting twentieth.

For the 2010 season Hamilton drove alongside Jenson Button, who joined McLaren after Heikki Kovalainen's departure to Lotus Racing.[63] Hamilton finished third at the season opener in Bahrain[64] and finished in sixth place at the next race in Australia after a late-race collision with Mark Webber.[65] Hamilton started from twentieth place on the grid in Malaysia after a poor tyre choice by McLaren left him out on dry tyres in wet conditions. He recovered to finish sixth.[66] Hamilton achieved a second-place finish in China behind Button, completing McLaren's first 1–2 finish since the 2007 Italian Grand Prix.[67] In Monaco Hamilton qualified and finished fifth.[68][69] Hamilton's fortunes improved in the Turkish Grand Prix, where he claimed his first victory of the season as he and Button completed a 1–2.[70]

Hamilton scored his second successive victory in Canada, ahead of teammate Jenson Button.

Hamilton qualified on pole for the Canadian Grand Prix, his third in as many attempts at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. After setting his pole lap, Hamilton received instructions from his team to stop on circuit due to a lack of fuel in the car which would not be sufficient for a sample to be taken by the FIA. Hamilton was reprimanded after failing to complete his in-lap in a sufficient time and the team was fined $10,000.[71] Hamilton went on to win the race and take the lead in the Drivers' Championship after McLaren's third 1–2 of the season. In Valencia, Alonso complained on his radio that Hamilton had gained an advantage by not following the safety car, and Hamilton subsequently received a drive-through penalty.[72]

He finished second at his home race at Silverstone,[73] and followed it up with fourth at the German Grand Prix.[74] Despite running into the gravel, Hamilton won in Spa to reclaim the championship lead.[75] However, successive crashes at the Italian and Singapore Grands Prix dropped him to third in the championship.[76] In Japan, Hamilton finished fifth,[77] followed by a second-place finish in South Korea.[78] He finished fourth at the Brazilian Grand Prix meaning he would remain in contention for the title going into the last race of the season.[79] In the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton finished second to Vettel, who won the World Drivers' Championship and broke Hamilton's record for being the youngest ever Formula One World Champion.[80]

At the start of the 2011 season, Hamilton dismissed Red Bull Racing as "just a drinks company".[81] Hamilton began the season qualifying and finishing second in the Australian Grand Prix, despite having floor damage to his McLaren.[82] In Malaysia, he qualified second but finished seventh in the race after being tagged by Ferrari's Fernando Alonso in the closing stages.[83] Hamilton received a 20-second time penalty post-race for weaving whilst defending, dropping Hamilton to eighth place.[84] Hamilton took his first win of the season in China,[85] before finishing fourth in Turkey,[86] and second in Spain.[87] In Monaco, Hamilton qualified tenth after Q3 was red-flagged before he could set a time due to a heavy crash from Sergio Pérez. During the race Hamilton received a drive-through penalty and was involved in two further collisions, the last of which he was given a 20-second time penalty for.[88] After the race, Hamilton said that he felt victimised by the FIA, having been summoned to the stewards in five out of six races in the season so far. When asked to why he had been targeted by the stewards so much, Hamilton replied in jest, "Maybe it's because I'm black, that's what Ali G says".[89]

Hamilton during qualifying for the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix

At the Canadian Grand Prix, Hamilton collided with Webber at the first corner before rejoining behind his teammate, Button. A few laps later Hamilton attempted to pass Button who pushed Hamilton into the pitwall, forcing him to retire with a broken driveshaft.[90] Hamilton finished fourth in Valencia and Silverstone.[91][92] In Germany, Hamilton took his second victory of the season,[93] before a chaotic race in Hungary in which Hamilton had five pitstops and a drive-through penalty after which he finished fourth.[94] He finished fourth at Monza after a race long battle with Michael Schumacher,[95][96] In the Singapore Grand Prix, Hamilton collided with Massa which left Hamilton needing a new front wing and serving a drive through penalty.[97] Massa accused Hamilton of being "incapable of using his brain," during a post race interview and grabbed Hamilton's shoulder before sarcastically retorting "Good job, bum"; Hamilton told the Brazilian to leave him alone.[98] In Japan, Hamilton suffered a puncture before once again tangling with Massa, although Hamilton escaped a reprimand and finished fifth.[99]

Hamilton finished fourth at the 2011 Italian Grand Prix after a long battle with Michael Schumacher

In Korea, Hamilton took pole position, ending a run of 16 consecutive pole positions for Red Bull.[100] However, he was passed on the first lap by Vettel who went on to win the race as Hamilton finished second.[101] At the inaugural Indian Grand Prix, Hamilton recorded the second-fastest time in qualifying, but was penalised three places on the starting grid, after a yellow-flag infraction in Friday practice.[102][103] Hamilton finished seventh after yet another incident with Massa for which the Brazilian received a penalty as Hamilton had to replace the front wing.[104] In Abu Dhabi, Hamilton qualified second and won the race.[105] After retiring from the Brazilian Grand Prix, Hamilton and Massa ended their feud as the two drivers spoke after the race before sharing a hug. Hamilton also apologised to his team for the "mishaps" throughout the season, and vowed that "2012 will be a good one".[106][107] Hamilton finished fifth overall in the championship, recording three wins, six podium finishes and one pole position. He also finished behind a teammate in the World Championship for the first time in his career as Button finished runner-up.[108]

Hamilton remained at McLaren alongside Button for the 2012 season.[109] Hamilton qualified in pole position for the Australian Grand Prix, but finished third after being passed by Button at the start, and by Vettel after pitting before a safety car.[110] Hamilton again qualified on pole for the Malaysian Grand Prix, but in the race was passed early on by Fernando Alonso and Sergio Pérez, finishing third.[111] Hamilton took his third consecutive third-place finish in China, with Nico Rosberg and Button ahead.[112] Hamilton qualified in second place in Bahrain, but during the race, a series of poor pitstops put him out of contention, and he finished eighth.[113] Hamilton was also involved in a controversial racing incident with Rosberg, with Rosberg appearing to push Hamilton off track while he attempted to overtake.[114] Hamilton qualified on pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix, but had to stop the car on track in order for a reputable fuel sample to be given post-qualifying. The stewards decided he had breached qualifying rules introduced after a similar incident involving Hamilton at the 2010 Canadian Grand Prix and excluded him from the qualifying results,[115] and demoted him to the back of the grid; but despite this, Hamilton finished eighth, ahead of Button, who had started in tenth.[116]

Hamilton took pole position for the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix, but slipped back to third place in the race

Hamilton achieved his first victory of the season at the Canadian Grand Prix, his third win in Montreal, after overtaking Alonso in the closing stages.[117][118] Hamilton won the Hungarian Grand Prix to claim his second win of the season.[119] Hamilton, along with championship leader Fernando Alonso, retired from the Belgian Grand Prix after being involved in a multiple car accident on the first corner of the race for which Romain Grosjean was deemed responsible and was given a one-race ban.[120] Hamilton bounced back with pole position for the Italian Grand Prix, and led for the majority of the race to claim his third victory of the season and keep his hopes of winning the Drivers' Championship alive.[121] Hamilton again qualified on pole at the Singapore Grand Prix, but suffered a gearbox failure whilst leading the race.[122] Due to a loss of fuel pressure, he also retired from the lead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix,[123] before winning the United States Grand Prix in Austin.[124] Hamilton's season ended with another pole position and retirement in Brazil, when he was involved in a collision with Nico Hülkenberg while leading in the late stages.[125] Hülkenberg was given a drive-through penalty for causing a collision.[126] Hamilton finished in fourth place in the World Championship.[127]

Hamilton during free practice at the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix

In September 2012, it was announced after much speculation that Hamilton would be leaving McLaren to join the Mercedes for the 2013 season, partnering Nico Rosberg after signing a three-year contract with the team.[128][129] The move was met with surprise by pundits and the public, with some describing the move to Mercedes, a team with no recent history of success, as a gamble.[130][131] It was later revealed that three-time World Drivers' Champion, Niki Lauda, was one of the key figures in persuading Hamilton to join Mercedes.[132]

In his first race for Mercedes, the Australian Grand Prix, Hamilton qualified in third and ended the race in fifth.[133] Hamilton finished third in Malaysia to take his first podium for the team, although Rosberg was prevented from attempting to overtake him by team orders.[134] At the following race in China, Hamilton secured his first pole position for Mercedes, but finished in third.[135] At Monaco after being out-qualified by his teammate Rosberg for the third successive race, Hamilton admitted that he was struggling to control the car under braking.[136] Prior to the race, both Red Bull and Ferrari had lodged formal complaints against Mercedes for taking part in what was determined to be an illegal 1,000-kilometre (620 mi) tyre test. Neither Mercedes drivers received any punishment for the breach of rules, and Mercedes was given a reprimand.[137]

At the Hungarian Grand Prix, Hamilton won the race from an unexpected pole position, eventually crossing the line nearly 11 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Kimi Räikkönen.[138] It was Hamilton's first win as a Mercedes driver, making him the first British driver to win a Formula One race in a Mercedes works car since Stirling Moss at the 1955 British Grand Prix and continued Hamilton's streak of winning at least one race prior to the mid-season break.[139] At the Belgian Grand Prix he secured his fifth and last pole position of the season and finished the race third. Although he did not score any podiums for the rest of the season, a string of point finishes helped him end the season in fourth place.[140]

Hamilton (right) engaged in a season-long championship battle with teammate Rosberg (left) in 2014.

New driver number regulations for the 2014 season allowed drivers to pick a unique car number to use for their entire career. Hamilton chose the number 44, which he used during his karting days.[141] After pre-season testing in Jerez, Mercedes were widely considered favourites for 2014, appearing to have reacted well to changes to regulations mandating the use of turbo-hybrid engines.[142]

Mercedes' anticipated pace was realised at the season opener in Australia where Hamilton took pole, although he was later forced to retire while teammate Rosberg won by over 20 seconds.[143] In Malaysia, Hamilton won his first race of the season from pole in a Mercedes 1–2, the team's first since 1955.[144] In Bahrain, Hamilton qualified in second place as both Mercedes cars locked out the front-row. Hamilton engaged in a close duel with Rosberg throughout the race. A late safety car seemingly swung the favour to Rosberg, who had the benefit of being on a faster tyre, but after the restart Hamilton held firm in a close wheel-to-wheel encounter to take consecutive victories for the first time since 2010.[145] After the race the pair engaged in a mock fight,[146] although it later emerged that Rosberg had used engine modes banned by Mercedes to give himself a power advantage over Hamilton in the closing laps.[147]

Hamilton won the 2014 Chinese Grand Prix to take three consecutive wins for the first time in his career.

Hamilton dominated in China where he took pole and then led every lap of the race to completed a hat-trick of wins for the first time in his career.[148] Mercedes continued to dominate in Spain where Hamilton once again set pole position and went on to win the race, his fourth successive win.[149] In Monaco, Hamilton qualified second behind Rosberg who, on provisional pole, ran deep at Mirabeau and drove into a sliproad, prompting yellow flags and forcing Hamilton to abort his final qualifying lap. Several pundits made suggestions of foul play, but the stewards cleared Rosberg of any wrongdoing. Hamilton made clear that he felt Rosberg had ruined his lap on purpose and, after starting and finishing the race second, announced that he and Rosberg were no longer friends.[150] Rosberg won the race with Hamilton finishing second.[151] During qualifying in Germany, Hamilton had a brake failure and started twentieth before recovering to finish third.[152] An engine fire in qualifying in Hungary meant he started from the pit lane from where he again managed to finish to third ahead of Rosberg.[153]

At the first race after the summer break in Belgium, Hamilton took the lead from Rosberg at the start but a collision between them on lap two punctured his rear tyre and he later retired from the race.[154] Wins from pole in Italy[155] and Singapore[156] saw Hamilton take the lead in the Drivers' Championship. Hamilton followed this by victories in Japan, the Russia and the United States to achieve five consecutive victories for the first time in his career.[157] In the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi, teams and drivers scored double the number of points awarded for race finish positions for the first time in the history of Formula One.[158] Hamilton had a perfect start, passing Rosberg before Turn 1 to take the lead before going on to win to secure his second World Championship title. Rosberg ultimately finished down in fourteenth, as problems with the ERS system on his car significantly reduced his pace. Despite advise over the radio to retire the car, Rosberg said he would like to go to the end and finish the race, which he ultimately did.[159] An emotional Hamilton said over his team radio after crossing the line, "This is the greatest day of my life".[160] Ahead of the podium ceremony, Rosberg entered into the cooldown room to congratulate Hamilton on winning the title. Hamilton later paid tribute to Rosberg for his graciousness in defeat.[161] Hamilton finished the season with 384 points, recording 11 wins and 7 pole positions.[162]

Before the start of the season, Hamilton announced he would not be exercising his option of switching his car number to 1 for the 2015 season, as was his prerogative as reigning World Champion, and would instead continue to race with his career number 44. It was the first season since 1994, when Alain Prost retired from the sport following his fourth and final World Drivers' Championship title in 1993, that the field did not contain car bearing the number 1.[163] Mercedes looked to again be the fastest car on the grid for the 2015 season, as the new W06 Hybrid completed more laps in pre-season testing than any rival car, and did so using just one power unit.[164] At the opening race in Australia, Hamilton qualified in pole position[165] before winning the race ahead of Rosberg in second, with Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari in third, 34 seconds back.[166] After taking pole before finishing second in Malaysia,[167] Hamilton won from pole in both China and Bahrain meaning he had taken a total of 93 points out of a possible 100 after four rounds.[168][169] Entering the eight-race European portion of the season, Hamilton carried a 27-point lead over Rosberg, which was quickly reduced as he finished second behind his teammate in Spain.[170]

Hamilton celebrating his fourth Canadian Grand Prix victory.

Ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, Mercedes announced they had extended the contract with Hamilton for three additional years, keeping him with the team until the end of the 2018 season in a deal reportedly worth more than £100 million over the three years, making him one of the best paid drivers in Formula One,[171][172] as well as allowing Hamilton to retain his own image rights, which is considered unusual in the sport, and keep his championship winning cars and trophies.[173] In the race, Hamilton looked on course to win the race having led for 65 laps, but an error by the Mercedes strategists who wrongly called him in for a pit-stop handed the win to Rosberg while Hamilton finished third.[174] Mercedes later apologised for the mistake.[175]

Hamilton returned to the top of the podium by winning from pole in Canada and Britain, the latter for the second time in a row and third overall, also surpassing Jackie Stewart's 45-year-old record of laps led in eighteen consecutive Grands Prix.[176] He finished sixth in an eventful Hungarian Grand Prix, ending his run of 16 consecutive podium finishes, the second-longest in Formula One history.[177] Hamilton won from pole in Spa[178] and took his second career grand slam in Monza to extend his championship lead over Nico Rosberg, who was forced to retire in the latter race due to engine failure, to 53 points.[179] At the Singapore Grand Prix, Hamilton was only able qualify in fifth ahead of teammate Nico Rosberg,[180] and had moved up to fourth in the race before he was forced to retire due to a power unit issue.[181] Hamilton recovered from his retirement in Singapore by winning in Japan and Russia,[182][183] meaning he could clinch the title at the next race in the United States, with three races to spare.[184]

Starting behind his teammate, Hamilton very aggressively forced Rosberg wide at Turn 1 to claim the lead before a thrilling race unfolded where the advantage continuously swung between both Mercedes drivers and the chasing Red Bulls. Rosberg led in the closing stages but made a mistake at Turn 12, running deep and letting his teammate through a handful of laps from the flag. Hamilton never relinquished the lead and claimed his third championship. Rosberg was furious after the race, saying his teammate's Turn 1 move had been "one step too far". He infamously threw his podium cap at Hamilton as they waited to take the podium.[147][185] Hamilton called his third title "the greatest moment of my life", thanking his father and his family for their support.[186] Comparing the title win to his two previous ones, he said: "the last two times were really climactic in the last race. This one still feels just as special if not more special [...]. It has kind of topped last year for me – it's equalling Ayrton [Senna]".[187] After securing his third title, Hamilton finished in second behind his teammate in the final three races of the season in Mexico,[188] Brazil,[189] and Abu Dhabi.[190] Hamilton ended the season with 381 points, recording 10 wins and 11 pole positions to win the FIA Pole Trophy for most pole positions of the season[191] and the DHL Fastest Lap Award.[192]

For the second year in a row, Hamilton decided not to exercise his prerogative as reigning World Champion to bear the number 1 on his car, and would instead race with his career number 44.[193] In pre-season testing, Mercedes covered the most distance in testing, almost 5,000 km (3,100 mi) and once again looked to be favourites for both the Drivers' and Constructors' championships.[194][195] At the season opener in Australia, Hamilton qualified on pole. After a poor start, he recovered to finish second behind Rosberg.[196] In the second race of the season in Bahrain, Hamilton again qualified on pole. In the race however, Hamilton was crashed into on the first lap by Bottas, for which Bottas was handed a drive-through penalty, before recovering to finish the race in third behind Rosberg and Räikkönen.[197] In China, Hamilton did not set a time in qualifying and started at the back of the grid. He got as high up fifth but was overtaken by Räikkönen and Ricciardo near the end of the race to finish seventh.[198] In Russia, Hamilton did not set a time in the third part of qualifying, meaning he started from tenth on the grid. He finished second behind Rosberg, despite having zero water pressure for the last sixteen laps.[199] After the first four rounds, Hamilton entered the European rounds of the season yet to win a race and trailing Rosberg, who had won the every race so far, in the Drivers' standings by 43 points.[200]

Hamilton took his first victory of 2016 at the Monaco Grand Prix.

In Spain, Hamilton started on pole ahead of Rosberg. The start of the race saw Hamilton and Rosberg collide, causing both drivers to retire from the race.[201] Both drivers made good starts, but Rosberg passed Hamilton around the outside of Turn 1. In the next few corners, Rosberg's car entered an incorrect engine mode due to an error the German had made on the formation lap, meaning he was slower than Hamilton coming out of Turn 3, and Hamilton went to overtake for the lead. Rosberg forced Hamilton on to the grass where he lost control, eventually spinning into Rosberg and taking both drivers out of the race. The stewards deemed it a racing incident and decided Hamilton had been justified in his attempt as he was 17 kilometres per hour (11 mph) quicker than Rosberg coming out of Turn 3.[146][202]

Hamilton took his first win of the season in Monaco[203] before winning the next race in Canada.[204] Hamilton finished fifth in Baku after struggling with a software issue that limited his engine's ability to harvest energy.[205] The next four rounds saw Hamilton take four consecutive wins for the third time in his career as he reclaimed the lead in the Drivers' standings. The first of which was in Austria, where Hamilton and Rosberg made contact as Hamilton tried to pass his teammate on the final lap.[206] The stewards found Rosberg guilty for causing an avoidable collision and handed him a ten-second penalty.[207] A week later, Hamilton completed a hat-trick of wins at the British Grand Prix,[208] before taking the championship lead in the following race in Hungary,[209] which was extended to 19 points after winning in Germany.[210] Despite having reclaimed the lead from Rosberg, Hamilton remained pessimistic about his title hopes as, with nine races left in the season, he was anticipating grid penalties for exceeding his engine allocation.[211]

Hamilton's engine failure in Malaysia was a key moment in the Drivers' Championship fight.

After the summer break, Hamilton's concerns were realised with Mercedes opting to take a series of grid penalties to build up a stockpile of components, forcing Hamilton to start in Belgium from twenty-first position from where he recovered to finish third.[212] Rosberg reduced Hamilton's championship lead to two points in Italy, as Hamilton had a poor start, dropping as low as fifth, before recovering to finish in second place.[213] Rosberg reclaimed the championship lead in Singapore, qualifying on pole while Hamilton was forced to settle for third after struggling with mechanical issues and driving errors.[214] Hamilton looked set to regain the lead after comfortably leading the Malaysian Grand Prix, however he retired sixteen laps from the end of the race with engine failure, leaving Daniel Ricciardo in control of the race, whilst Rosberg finished in third position, extending his championship lead to 23 points.[215] Another poor start in Japan left Hamilton eighth by the end of the first lap, before he recovered to finish third and secured Mercedes' third consecutive Constructors' title.[216]

With the championship leaving Asia for the Americas, Hamilton gradually started to erode Rosberg's championship lead. He won from pole in a Mercedes 1–2 finish in the next three races in the United States,[217] Mexico[218] and Brazil[219] meaning he entered the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix needing to win with Rosberg finishing fourth or lower to win the title.[220] In Abu Dhabi, Hamilton took pole position ahead of Rosberg, and led him for most of the race. In the closing laps of the race, he slowed down in attempt to allow other drivers to catch and pass Rosberg, despite repeated instructions from Mercedes not to risk losing the race to Sebastian Vettel, who used pit strategy to bring himself into contention and was quickly catching up.[221] Hamilton went on to win the race, while Rosberg secured his maiden Drivers' Championship title with second place.[222] After the race, Hamilton denied that he had been guilty of any wrongdoing, saying "I don't think I did anything dangerous", "I was in the lead, so I control the pace. Those are the rules".[223][224] Hamilton finished the season with 380 points, recording 10 wins, a record-equalling 17 podium finishes and 12 pole positions, enough to secure the FIA Pole Trophy for the second consecutive season.[225]

Hamilton during 2017 pre-season testing in Barcelona.

At the season opener in Australia, Hamilton took pole ahead of his new Mercedes teammate Bottas and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel.[226][227] Vettel ultimately took victory, with Hamilton only able to take second after being stuck behind Verstappen after his first pit-stop. Journalists and commentators suggested that the race signalled an end to the Mercedes dominance of the past two seasons.[228] Hamilton took his first win of the season at the next race in China where he won from pole[229] led every lap and set the fastest lap to give the Mercedes driver his third career Grand Slam.[230][231] Hamilton received a penalty as he finished runner-up in Bahrain,[232] and raised concerns over the pace of his car.[233] At the next race in Sochi, Hamilton struggled for pace and finished fourth, while teammate Bottas took his first Grand Prix win.[234]

Mercedes brought a series of upgrades to the Spanish Grand Prix, and qualifying saw Hamilton take pole ahead of Vettel.[235] Hamilton went on to secure victory after passing Vettel in the latter half of the race, reducing the German's lead in the championship to six points.[236] However, two weeks later in Monaco, Hamilton qualified in fourteenth as he struggled to warm his tyres as well as his final flying lap being impeded by an accident involving Stoffel Vandoorne while Ferrari locked out the front row.[237] Hamilton recovered to finish seventh, while Vettel won the race and extended his championship lead to 25 points.[238] Hamilton responded by taking pole in Canada, equalling his hero Ayrton Senna with the 65th of his career. He was presented with one of Senna's old helmets, a gift from the late Brazilian's family for equalling his record. Upon receiving the gift, Hamilton paid tribute to the Brazilian three-time World Champion, saying "He inspired me to be where I am today so to receive this is the greatest honour".[239] Hamilton went on to win, leading every lap of the race and setting the fastest lap for his second Grand Slam of the season.[240]

Hamilton achieved his fifth career Grand Slam and his third of the season at the British Grand Prix.

Hamilton secured his fifth pole of the season at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, as he looked to reduce the deficit to championship leader Vettel. The race was full of incident, with three safety cars and a red flag. Just before the second safety car period was ending, Vettel rear-ended Hamilton, accusing his title rival of brake testing him, though FIA telemetry data showed that Hamilton had not.[241] Moments later, Vettel pulled alongside and swerved into Hamilton's Mercedes as they prepared for a restart, for which he received a ten-second stop-go penalty.[242] However, with Hamilton being forced to pit for a loose headrest a couple of laps earlier, Vettel emerged in front and held off Hamilton to move 14 points clear in the standings. Vettel took full responsibility, issuing a public apology to Hamilton and committing to devote personal time over the next 12 months to educational activities across a variety of FIA championships and events.[243]

In Austria, Hamilton qualified third and would start in eight place due to a five-place grid penalty after his car required an unscheduled gearbox change.[244] Hamilton finished the race in fourth place, while Bottas took his second ever Grand Prix victory. Vettel finished in second to extend his championship lead to 20 points over Hamilton.[245] At the British Grand Prix, Hamilton qualified on pole[246] and went on to win, achieving a record-equalling third grand slam of the season. With his fifth British Grand Prix win, he equalled the records of Alain Prost and Jim Clark. Championship rival Vettel suffered a tyre failure with two laps to go, and subsequently finished seventh and so his lead over Hamilton in the Drivers' standings was reduced to one point.[247] Hamilton finished in fourth position in Hungary, behind Bottas, after requesting that he swap places with Bottas to try to overtake both Ferraris. Unable to do so, Hamilton relinquished the position back to Bottas on the final corner of the last lap while Vettel won the race.[248]

A hat-trick of victories after the summer break saw Hamilton regain the lead of the championship. Hamilton won from pole in Belgium[249][250] and a week later in Italy he surpassed Michael Schumacher for the all-time most pole positions[251] and went on to win the race.[252] Hamilton took an unlikely victory at the Singapore Grand Prix after qualifying in fifth.[253] During the first-ever rain affected night Grand Prix, Hamilton took the lead on the first lap after a crash in turn one involving Räikkönen, Verstappen and Vettel forced all three to retire.[254] Despite major setup difficulties after introducing upgrades at the Malaysian Grand Prix,[255][256] Hamilton took pole position[257] before finishing in second place behind Verstappen.[258] In Japan, Hamilton took his first Suzuka pole[259] and took his eighth win of the season, while title-rival Vettel retired after four laps, extending his championship lead to 59 points.[260] Hamilton broke another record during qualifying of the United States Grand Prix. In windy conditions, Hamilton claimed pole position and his 117th front row start, setting a new record for all-time front row starts, surpassing Michael Schumacher.[261] Hamilton went on to win, and Mercedes clinched their fourth consecutive World Constructors' Championship title. The victory extended Hamilton's lead in the Drivers' Championship such that a fifth-place finish in Mexico would clinch the title with two races remaining.[262]

Max Verstappen overtaking Hamilton for the lead in Malaysia.

In Mexico, after qualifying in third, Hamilton suffered a puncture after a first lap collision with Vettel.[263] Hamilton, suffering damage to his diffuser and underfloor sustained in the first-lap collision, finished ninth to clinch the drivers' title with two races remaining.[264][265] During qualifying of the Brazilian Grand Prix, Hamilton made a rare mistake on his first flying run in the first qualifying session and hit the barriers, and so started the race from the pit lane.[266] An impressive comeback drive followed as he passed most of the field to finish fourth.[267] Mercedes dominated qualifying of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with Hamilton qualifying second in the first front row lock-out for the team since Azerbaijan.[268] Mercedes capped off the season with their fourth 1–2 as Bottas won the race from pole with Hamilton unable to pass despite several attempts in the closing laps.[269] Hamilton ended the season with 363 points, finishing all twenty races in the points, recording 9 wins and 11 pole positions to secure the FIA Pole Trophy for the third season running.[270]

The 2018 season was the first time in the sport that two four-time World Champions–Hamilton and Vettel–would be competing for a fifth title.

The 2018 season was the first time that two four-time World Champions, Hamilton and Vettel, would be competing for a fifth title and was billed as the Fight for Five by journalists and fans.[271][272][273] Hamilton started the season by taking a record seventh pole position in Melbourne,[274] but finished second behind Vettel, who used a timely virtual safety car period triggered by the stricken Haas of Romain Grosjean to pass Hamilton before successfully defending the position until the finish.[275] After finishing on the podium in Bahrain[276] and finishing fourth in Shanghai,[277] Hamilton won his first race of the season in Azerbaijan, after an error from Vettel allowed Hamilton to take second place, before he inherited the race lead from teammate Bottas who suffered an unfortunate late puncture. The victory gave Hamilton the lead of the championship for the first time in 2018.[278] After the race, Hamilton was late to the podium ceremony to console Bottas.[279] At the next race, Hamilton took his first consecutive victories of the season as he won from pole in Spain in Mercedes' first 1–2 finish of the season.[280] However, Hamilton relinquished the championship lead over the next two rounds in Monaco and Canada.[281][282][283][284]

In Formula One's return to France, Hamilton won from pole while championship leader Vettel caused a collision in turn one, demoting him to the back of the grid from where he ultimately finished fifth, allowing Hamilton to retake the championship lead by 14 points.[285][286] In Austria Hamilton suffered his first retirement since the 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix due to a mechanical issue, bringing an end to a record 33-race streak without retirements, all of which he finished in the points.[287] Vettel's third-place finish meant the championship lead swung back in the German's favour.[288] Despite starting from pole at Silverstone, Hamilton was denied a home victory after a collision with Räikkönen on the first lap left him virtually last. Despite the spin, Hamilton recovered to finish in second place while Vettel stormed to victory.[289][290] In the week leading up to the German Grand Prix, Hamilton signed a two-year contract with Mercedes, reported to be worth up to £40 million, making Hamilton the best paid driver in the history of Formula One.[291] A hydraulic issue in qualifying meant Hamilton could only manage fourteenth place on the grid.[292] In the race, Hamilton took one of the best wins of his career as he worked his way through the midfield and handled changing weather conditions, compounded by another mistake from Vettel who crashed into the barriers from the lead of his home race.[286] The championship lead swapped hands yet again, this time in favour of the Briton.[293] Hamilton took consecutive victories again, and his fifth win of the season as he won from pole in Hungary, extending his championship lead to 24 points entering the summer break.[294]

Hamilton suffered his only retirement of the season at the Austrian Grand Prix.

After the summer break, Hamilton returned in formidable form; winning four of the next five races including four consecutive Grand Prix victories. The season resumed in Belgium where Hamilton took his sixth pole position of the season.[295] However, the Ferrari of Vettel went on to take victory on the power-sensitive Spa circuit after passing Hamilton on the first lap.[296][297] Hamilton took full advantage of another error from title-rival Vettel, who spun on the first lap as Hamilton passed him around the outside, to take victory at Monza in front of the Tifosi after passing pole-sitter Räikkönen with eight laps to go.[298][299] At the 2018 Singapore Grand Prix, a track at which Mercedes had struggled for performance in the hybrid era, Hamilton took an unexpected pole position with one of the finest laps of his career.[300][301] Hamilton himself said the lap "felt like magic", while team-boss Toto Wolff described it as "stardust", commenting "only he will know what he did around that lap... it's surreal".[302] Hamilton converted his pole position into a win in the race, extending his championship lead over Vettel who finished third behind Red Bull's Verstappen.[303][304]

Hamilton took a controversial victory in Russia where, after falling behind Vettel in the pit stops before passing him on track, Mercedes ordered teammate Bottas to gift Hamilton the lead of the race to further extend his championship lead over Vettel.[305] After the race, Hamilton described his teammate as "a real gentleman".[306] A commanding win from pole in Japan,[307] with Vettel finishing in sixth after spinning in the race,[308] followed by a podium finish in the United States[309] meant Hamilton could clinch the title in Mexico for the second year running.[310] Hamilton finished fourth in Mexico to clinch his fifth World Championship title with two races remaining.[311] The newly crowned World Champion finished his season in imperious form with consecutive wins from pole in Brazil[312] and Abu Dhabi[313] as he set a new record for the most points scored in a season (408). He also became the first driver to surpass 3000 total career points. Hamilton finished the season with 11 pole positions, 11 race victories and a record-equalling 17 podium finishes.[314][315]

Hamilton at the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix

Having signed a contract with Mercedes that lasts until 2020, it was confirmed Hamilton would defend his title in 2019.[316] Hamilton clinched his sixth World Drivers' Championship at the 2019 United States Grand Prix.[317][318]

He broke the record of most points in a season (which he set in 2018), scoring 413 points, 87 points ahead of runner up Bottas.

Hamilton at the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix, the race in which he took his 90th career Grand Prix win.

In 2020, Hamilton's main aim was to equal Michael Schumacher's record of seven world titles.[319]

On race day, at the Austrian Grand Prix, Hamilton, alongside 13 other drivers, took a knee in support of 'Black Lives Matter'.[320][321] This became common practice in the 2020 season before every race.

During qualifying for the Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton was given a three-place grid penalty for ignoring yellow flags caused by his teammate Bottas going onto the grass in sector three. Hamilton was running in second place in the race when Red Bull driver Alexander Albon tried to overtake Hamilton around the outside, and they collided, putting Albon out of contention for a podium. Hamilton was given a five second penalty for this incident, demoting him from second to fourth.

Hamilton rebounded from a poor first race to win in the Styrian Grand Prix. He again won comfortably in Hungary, this time taking the lead in the championship. He nearly got a Grand Chelem, however, due to him pitting on lap 4, Verstappen took the lead for one lap. At the British Grand Prix, he won for the third time in a row, despite having a puncture on his left-front wheel on the last lap of the race. Hamilton's streak of wins ended at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, due to the Mercedes W11 struggling with tyre wear caused by high temperatures. His 2nd place finish meant he equaled Michael Schumacher's record of 155 podium finishes.[322]

Hamilton was back to his winning ways at the Spanish Grand Prix, where he claimed his 156th podium, breaking the all time record and at the Belgian Grand Prix, both times winning comfortably and leading every lap in those two races. At the Italian Grand Prix, Hamilton led comfortably at the start, but an illegal pitstop during a safety car period cost him and he finished 7th with the fastest lap. After the Italian Grand Prix Hamilton's Championship lead was 47 points over Bottas.

Hamilton then later won the Tuscan and Eifel Grands Prix, extending his championship lead to 69 points over Bottas. His win at the Eifel Grand Prix meant that he equalled Michael Schumacher's record of 91 career wins.[323]

Hamilton took the record for most Formula One wins by claiming his 92nd win at the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix. Starting from pole both Hamilton and Bottas struggled to find grip on their harder compound medium tyres and were passed by Carlos Sainz on the opening lap. Once their tyres warmed up, both Hamilton and Bottas overtook Sainz with Bottas leading from Hamilton. Hamilton gradually overtook, seemingly faring better on his tyres. Hamilton comfortably led the race to the end and extended his world championship lead to 77 points.

At the Turkish Grand Prix, Hamilton aced tricky conditions to win his seventh World Championship.[324] Although qualifying an unusually low sixth place, he overturned a pitstop deficit to the lead to win by over 30 seconds, the largest winning margin of the season.

Points were awarded to the top eight classified finishers.

Points were awarded to the top 10 classified finishers.