Lewis Hamilton: First F1 Driver To Win 100 Formula One Races

Lewis Hamilton won his 100th Formula One race, drawing on much of his vast experience from the first 99 as he fought his way to a landmark victory in the rain on the opening lap based on his overtaking skills, strategic thinking and driving abilities to reclaim the world championship lead from Max Verstappen. Hamilton’s turning point Verstappen’s five-point lead in the championship is now two points ahead of his own lead after the Dutchman finished second after a dramatic move from last on the grid.

The record for most Formula One victories in his career was held by Michael Schumacher in 2001 with 91 victories when he retired from Formula One at the end of 2012. Hamilton had broken Schumacher’s winning record in October en route to his seventh Formula One title. Hamilton is second with 91 wins from 307 starts, the last in his 247th GP.

It is hard to put Lewis Hamilton’s 100 Formula One wins into context when no one else has reached triple figures for race wins in the sport’s 71-year history. But as it became clear that Hamilton had surpassed 91 – a figure that was 40 above the previous record and seemed unbeatable when he entered Formula One in 2007 – the limits of what is possible in a single Formula One career have been redefined in the last 12 months.

More About Lewis Hamilton

• Hamilton has won a record 100 grand prix in 282 races since his debut in 2007, winning only one victory this year. He is third in the charts in percentage terms and has won more than half the races of the hybrid era.
• The Canadian GP circuit in Montreal has always been a favourite of Hamilton and he claimed his first victory there in 2007.
• Lewis Hamilton became the first Formula One driver to win 100 races on September 26, 2021 at the Russian Grand Prix and reclaimed Max Verstappen’s world title lead.
• Hamilton has won seven world titles in Formula One.

How The Journey Started?

• Born and raised in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, Hamilton joined McLaren’s young driver program in 1998. This led to a Formula 1 race with McLaren in 2007, making Hamilton the first black driver and so far only in the series. That season, Hamilton set many records, finishing one point ahead of Kimi Räikkönen. The following season he impressively won his first title – a crucial step on the last lap of the last race of the season – to become Formula World Champion, one of the youngest in history.
• After four years at McLaren (2007 to 2012), Hamilton signed with Mercedes in 2013.

Lewis Hamilton – Early Life and Education

• Hamilton was born on January 7, 1985 in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England.
• His father, Anthony Hamilton, is black and of Grenadian descent, while his mother, Carmen Larbalestier, is white, which makes him mixed-race; Hamilton identified himself as black.
• Hamilton’s parents separated when he was two, after which he lived with his stepmother and half-brothers, Samantha and Nicola, until he was twelve.
• Hamilton grew up a Catholic.
• Hamilton studied at the John Henry Newman School, a Catholic volunteer aid high school in Stevenage.
• Hamilton was into racing, as well as he played football for his school team with England’s last national team, Ashley Young.
• In February 2001, he began studying at Cambridge Arts and Sciences (CATS), a sixth-tier private university in Cambridge.

Lewis Hamilton Net Worth

• According to Wikipedia, Lewis Hamilton was ranked the richest British sportsman in 2015, with an estimated personal fortune of £ 88million.
• In 2018, Hamilton is said to have a net worth of £ 159million.
• In 2020, Hamilton’s fortune is estimated at £ 224 million, making him the richest British sports star in the history of the Sunday Times Rich List.
• Ahead of the 2015 Monaco Grand Prix weekend, Hamilton signed to stay with Mercedes for the remainder of the 2018 season in a deal valued at over £ 100million over three years, making him one of the highest paid drivers in Formula 1.
• The week before the 2018 German Grand Prix, Hamilton signed a two-year contract with Mercedes, worth an estimated £ 40 million a year, making him the highest-paid driver in the history of the company.