Indomitable Hamilton manages to claim his sixth title

Lewis Hamilton has claimed his sixth Formula 1 World Championship after finishing second at the US Grand Prix. It is difficult to not sound like a broken record now, as this is Hamilton’s fifth title in the past six years. This season, he has been the class of the field, piloting his all-conquering Mercedes he emerged victorious from 10 out of the 19 races so far. Admittedly challengers to his crown have been few and far between, the only other man with the car to win this championship, Valtteri Bottas, has been found wanting in comparison to Hamilton. 

Then again, it is hard to imagine any driver, past or present, who wouldn’t struggle when facing Hamilton. The evolution of him as a driver is a lesson in perseverance. Hamilton emerged onto the scene in 2007 when he came within one point of the championship which he would then claim in 2008. Afterwards he wandered in the wilderness until 2013 when he joined Mercedes. This pre-Mercedes Hamilton was an enigma, a terrific qualifier and occasionally superb racer who nonetheless seemed to struggle with temperament and consistency. 

There have only been three races this season where he has failed to finish on the podium

Since joining Mercedes, however, Hamilton has improved season on season. Three seasons battling with teammate Nico Rosberg for the championship developed the ruthlessly efficient Hamilton we are seeing now. The 2019 season is the demonstration of Hamilton’s consistent excellence. There have only been three races this season where he has failed to finish on the podium, even when he does not win he is still picking up points and extending the gap over his rivals. In fact, the only fault in his performance this season has uncharacteristically been in qualifying, where he has claimed only four pole positions, in comparison to 11 last year. Yet with his unparalleled race management and Ferrari’s penchant for being the architects of their own downfall, this rarely mattered. 

Unless Ferrari or Red Bull manage to make a giant step forward in the 2020 season, or Bottas manages to find a way to break Hamilton’s focus, then it is hard to see Hamilton not winning a seventh championship. Indeed, if Mercedes get the 2021 rule changes right then Hamilton will have no reason to doubt at least the next three championships are within his grasp. Considering Mercedes are the best managed and most efficient team on the grid, it is difficult to see them not giving Hamilton the car to compete in the next few seasons. Hamilton himself only seems to be getting stronger, and at 34 shows no signs of slowing down at all. 

Certainly among his contemporaries he is making a convincing argument for being the best

Should Hamilton claim the 2020 championship, he will equal Michael Schumacher’s record of seven titles, a feat many thought may never be matched. Inevitably the race is on to heap praise on Hamilton and consider where he stands among the pantheon of great drivers. Certainly among his contemporaries he is making a convincing argument for being the best. Vettel and Alonso may have reached more acute peaks of excellence. Yet Hamilton has been far more consistent, made better choices, and shown a greater ability to adapt to an ever-changing sport than either of these recent titans of F1. 

We must wait until Hamilton eventually decides to hang up his gloves to consider where he ranks among drivers like Senna, Schumacher, and Prost. What we can say now though, is that there are few British athletes who have ever had such a supreme command of their sport. Certainly there are no contemporary British athletes as high-profile as Hamilton who can claim to be by far the best in the world. What we should take away from Hamilton’s sixth title is that he is one of the world’s great sportspeople, and that perhaps we don’t appreciate how rare it is to be able to watch a competitor of his calibre.