![]() Alonso’s winning days are well behind him and his return of two championships and 32 race wins seems paltry compared to his former team-mate’s and even small compared to what he could have achieved with better decisions and in better cars. Returning to Alonso, the Spaniard is, perhaps, the only true rival Hamilton has faced who compares in the talent - and longevity - stakes. That could have been his finest triumph of all. And let us not forget the end of the 2021 season, where the title slipped from his grasp through no fault of his own on the very last lap. Vettel crashed out in the damp but the Mercedes driver mastered the conditions to take an improbable victory from 14th on the grid. The pivotal moment in that season was another Hamilton masterclass in the wet at Hockenheim. In 2018, after losing to Vettel at the British Grand Prix (a rare Silverstone defeat) to go even further behind in the championship, he reeled off eight wins in the final 11 races. Alonso might be the only try rival of Hamilton's who compares in talent and longevity Yes, Ferrari’s challenge fell apart as the season went on, but Hamilton was arguably driving at his finest in those years, especially the second halves. He and Mercedes had to come back from behind in both 20 to take both championships. ![]() There is also, perhaps, a tendency to underrate some of his title triumphs. That perhaps makes him a better ‘champion’, if not the better driver. Yet, when it comes to sportsmanship, Hamilton has not crossed the line anywhere near as much. They are both supreme over one lap and dominated the sport in the best car for several years, racking up multiple titles and scores of victories. The similarities are there with Schumacher. It is even difficult to fairly compare him to some of his contemporaries. Comparing Hamilton’s successes and his statistical landmarks to Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart or even Ayrton Senna is a task that will never get to the heart of the matter. The fundamentals of the sport are the same and they drive at some of the same venues, but that is about it. It is impossible and difficult to compare Hamilton to the finest drivers of F1’s different eras. He has 103 wins and 103 pole positions, has led every lap of a race 23 times, has more than 4,200 points, 60 fastest laps and has taken a hat-trick of pole position, fastest lap and win 19 times. But do these numbers mark him out as the greatest of all time? Or just the most successful of all time? More so the latter. There are few categories where he doesn’t lead the way and even in some of those he is a close second to Schumacher. The stats that Hamilton has behind him after 299 races are staggering. “He has been a tremendous driver, a legend of our sport, so it has always been a pleasure to share all this time with him.” Hopefully he will continue to race so hopefully we’ll have more in the future.”Īlonso repaid the compliment, congratulating Hamilton on a triple century of races. “He had the talent already in 2007, he still has the talent now with experience. “I was so young mentally and, of course, OK in terms of skill but it’s a lot of pressure to go up against a great like Fernando. “I remember the task of being alongside Fernando when I was 22,” Hamilton said. The two drove as McLaren team-mates in the Briton’s debut season in 2007, with the rookie finishing ahead, despite losing out on the title. Earlier this week Hamilton praised Alonso as his toughest competitor in his 15-and-a-half seasons at the top of motorsport. The comparison to Alonso is a pertinent one. ![]() And with increasingly long seasons - there will be 24 races next year - it is not out of the question that Hamilton could become F1’s first 400-race driver. Given Hamilton’s ability, fitness and the potential to be the only man with eight world championships, you would expect there is a good chance that he could yet surpass them all. Yet with little chance of adding to his win tally of 103 races at Sunday’s French Grand Prix, it is likely to be his standout statistic of this weekend.įive men have raced in more grands prix: Jenson Button, Michael Schumacher at 306, Rubens Barrichello (322), Fernando Alonso (345) and Kimi Raikkonen (350) are the only men above him.Īlonso is still fighting near, if not exactly at, the front at 40 years old and with little sign of his skills diminishing. Amongst all the eye-watering statistics and records that Lewis Hamilton holds, the longevity of his career is one that is often overlooked.
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