Lewis Hamilton was in blistering form. The record books note that Lewis has won at least 1 race in every season he has raced from 2002 to 2021, including the junior Formulas. That is 20 years of resounding success. But things look different this time around.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
“We have to be realistic – under normal circumstances Red Bull Racing is unbeatable. In terms of pure performance, they are superior to all,” was Hamilton’s response after Monza this year. (translated using Google Translate)
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
It is not a message of confidence. The question that arises is – is there a chance for Lewis and/or Mercedes to go winless this year?
With only 6 races remaining for the closure of the season, it is not a far-fetched possibility. But such an occurrence will make the team in Brackley really unhappy. Mercedes last went a whole season winless in 2011.
Similarly, Hamilton has won once every season for the last 20 years. This record goes back to his career in GP2, Formula 3 and Formula Renault. It is a phenomenal record, clearly showing the abilities of the Briton. But it stands on thin ice.
Could this be Lewis Hamilton’s lowest scoring season?
Hamilton has amassed a 140 winners’ trophies since the start of 2002. That averages to 7 trophies a season for the Brit. Moreover, he has a grand total of 4333.5 F1 career points, the highest any F1 driver has ever accumulated. He has 103 wins and 188 podiums with his 304 starts in the sport.
ZANDVOORT – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of the Netherlands at Circuit Zandvoort on September 4, 2022 in Zandvoort, Netherlands. KOEN VAN WEEL (Photo by ANP via Getty Images)
Lewis averages 277.7 points per season in his 15-year F1 career (excluding the current season). Currently, at 168 points for this season, he stands well below his season average.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
However, as things stood, it would still not be his lowest points totally for a season. He scored 49 points in 2009, 98 in 2008, and 109 in 2007.
Incidentally, he won the Championship in 2008 with a total of 98 while he was 2nd in 2007 with a total of 109. Therefore, it is clearly not his worst performance, strictly points-wise, for any F1 season.
With only a few races remaining in the season, Lewis can still score 130 points – assuming he wins all these races and also attains the fastest lap for each race. This would bring his total for the season up to 324 points for the season. Unfortunately for Lewis, and his fans, this would not be enough to get his hands on the trophy as Max Verstappen is currently at 335 points already.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Watch This Story: Lewis Hamilton Joins Zendaya as Latest Face for Maison Valentino
Nevertheless, a total of 168 points will not be acceptable for the standards Lewis sets for himself. Fans of the Briton would like to believe this season was an anomaly, an annus horribilis. They will hope he comes back to his best next year.
