6 Things Lewis Hamilton Achieved In Ten Years At Mercedes F1 Team
Hamilton #Hamilton
Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton has been with the Mercedes team for ten years today, so we are taking a look back at what he has achieved during their long and successful working relationship.
Mercedes shared to Twitter a video of the British driver’s first day. They captioned the video:
“On this day years ago, @lewishamilton’s very first day with the Team. And well, you know the rest…”
The video shows Hamilton speaking to the camera saying:
“Hello, I’m Lewis Hamilton and welcome to my first day at Mercedes-AMG Petronas.”
Hamilton takes a tour of the Brackley facility and meets the huge team. Speaking to the team, the driver says:
“It’s a real privilege to be here, obviously I know you guys have had a couple of tough years and I’m just here to work alongside all of you to see if we can try and turn some of those results into some serious results.”
Hamilton went on to win six of his seven world championships in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. The team also won the constructor’s championship for eight consecutive years from 2014 to 2021.
5. Eighty-Two Race Wins
Over his time with Mercedes so far, Hamilton has had 82 race wins, his first being the 2013 Hungarian Grand Prix.
4. Seventy-Seven Pole Positions
The F1 icon has had 77 pole positions with the team. He had 5 during his first season with Mercedes in 2013, and his first was at the Chinese Grand Prix.
3. One Hundred And Forty-Two Podium Finishes
Hamilton has also had 142 podium finishes. His first with the team was the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix where he came third.
2. Forty-Nine Fastest Laps
The British driver has achieved 49 fastest laps during his time with Mercedes so far. He only achieved one in his first season with the team which was at the Italian Grand Prix where he finished in ninth position.
1. Off Track Activism
As well as his incredible success on track, Hamilton has used his platform and influence as a successful athlete to raise awareness and advocate for change, particularly in support of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. He took a knee before each race, donned a Black Lives Matter t-shirt and encouraged his fellow drivers to do the same, used social media to express his views on racism and established a commission aimed at increasing diversity and representation within motorsports.
Additionally, Hamilton has also been vocal about the lack of diversity in Formula One, calling for more opportunities for people of colour and other underrepresented groups within the sport. According to F1FAll.com, “[Toto] Wolff, alongside the 7-time world champion, has created initiatives to attract, develop, and retain a diverse workforce, with now 38% of Mercedes F1 entrants being from an under-represented background, most namely through the Accelerate 255 project by the Brackley squad.”
He has been actively working to make changes and create a more inclusive environment, and has also been involved in other social causes such as environmental protection and animal welfare. His efforts serve as an inspiration for others to use their platform and influence for positive social change.