This is an accepted version of this page
154-503: Formula One , abbreviated to F1, is the highest class of open-wheeled auto racing defined by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motorsport's world governing body. The "formula" in the name refers to a set of rules to which all participants and cars must conform. The F1 World Championship season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix , held usually on purpose-built circuits , and in
308-486: A rev limiter . The Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) believed that allowing some teams to have such technical freedom would have created a 'two-tier' championship, and thus requested urgent talks with the FIA. But talks broke down and FOTA teams announced, with the exception of Williams and Force India , that 'they had no choice' but to form a breakaway championship series . On 24 June, Formula One's governing body and
462-627: A ban on ground-effect aerodynamics during 1983 . But by then, turbocharged engines, which Renault had pioneered in 1977 , were producing over 520 kW (700 bhp) and were essential to be competitive. By 1986 , a BMW turbocharged engine achieved a flash reading of 5.5 bar (80 psi) pressure, estimated to be over 970 kW (1,300 bhp) in qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix . The next year, power in race trim reached around 820 kW (1,100 bhp), with boost pressure limited to only 4.0 bar. These cars were
616-524: A chassis and an engine of a Formula One car is a person or corporate entity that owns the intellectual rights to the chassis and the engine of the car that a team/entrant enters into a competition. From the inaugural season of the World Constructors' Championship in 1958 up until the 1978 season only the highest-scoring driver in each race for each constructor contributed points towards the World Constructors' Championship (then officially as
770-472: A debut season (109). Acquiring the championship lead as early as in the fourth round of the season, Hamilton became the youngest Formula One driver to lead the championship standings. Due to McLaren's strategical missteps and other misfortunes in the closing rounds of the season, Hamilton's twelve point advantage in the standings evanesced. Resulting in him finishing runner-up in the 2007 World Drivers' Championship to Kimi Räikkönen , by one point. Throughout
924-469: A driver's fastest lap in that period (barring infractions) counts. Any timed lap started before the end of that period may be completed and will count toward that driver's placement. The number of cars eliminated in each period is dependent on the total number of cars entered into the championship. Currently, with 20 cars, Q1 runs for 18 minutes, and eliminates the slowest five drivers. During this period, any driver whose best lap takes longer than 107% of
1078-405: A few cases on closed city streets . The World Constructors' Championship is presented by the FIA to the most successful F1 constructor over the course of the season through a points system based on individual Grand Prix results. Constructors' Championship points are calculated by adding points scored in each race by any driver for that constructor. According to FIA regulations, the constructor of
1232-531: A fierce battle for the title throughout the season, finishing 1–2 at 14 of 22 Grands Prix, and colliding on track in several occasions. Hamilton achieved his 100th pole position and race win at the Spanish and Russian Grands Prix, respectively, becoming the first driver to achieve either feat. Winning three of the last four races, including a recovery drive at the São Paulo Grand Prix —which
1386-589: A fierce but fair fighter". As a driver he is absolutely outstanding – as good as there's ever been. Apart from the talent, he's a good guy, he gets out on the street and supports and promotes Formula One. He is box office, 100 per cent. — Bernie Ecclestone , speaking of Hamilton in 2015 Hamilton has been described as the best driver of his generation, and one of the greatest Formula One drivers including by Chase Carey and Martin Brundle . Several Formula One drivers and experts have described Hamilton as
1540-591: A footballer or a cricketer, having played both for his school teams. In February 2001, he began studies at Cambridge Arts and Sciences (CATS), a private sixth-form college in Cambridge. Hamilton began karting in 1993 and quickly began winning races and cadet class championships. Two years later, he became the youngest driver to win the British cadet karting championship at the age of ten. That year, Hamilton approached McLaren Formula One team boss Ron Dennis at
1694-552: A former test driver for McLaren who worked with Hamilton and Alonso, rated the pair as the best he had seen first hand, stating that they shared a strength in terms of "how much speed they can run into the apex [of a corner] and still have a decent exit speed", highlighting in particular their ability to maintain this speed when their rear tyres have lost grip during a longer stint. Hamilton has been praised for his consistency, especially in his time at Mercedes. From 2017 to 2018, he finished 33 consecutive races in point-scoring positions,
SECTION 10
#17327909779351848-568: A gamble. In his first season with the Brackley -based team, Hamilton secured a sole race victory, winning the Hungarian Grand Prix , where he converted an unexpected pole position into a winning margin of over 11 seconds ahead of second-placed Räikkönen. With a number of other podium finishes and pole positions, Hamilton finished fourth in the standings once again, the third time in five years. Changes to engine regulations for
2002-482: A guerrilla war with a very long-term aim in view". FOCA threatened to establish a rival series and boycotted a Grand Prix, and FISA withdrew its sanction from races. The result was the 1981 Concorde Agreement , which guaranteed technical stability, as teams were to be given reasonable notice of new regulations. Although FISA asserted its right to the TV revenues, it gave FOCA the administration of those rights. FISA imposed
2156-432: A lot more—clear of every other driver on the grid". I feel like this year [2022], when we got our first fifth, it felt like a win. When we got our first fourth, it felt like a win. When we got our first podium, it felt like a win, and those second places felt as if we really achieved something, so I'll just hold on to those. — Hamilton, reflecting on his winless 2022 season. Partnered by George Russell in place of
2310-404: A management buyout to become Brawn GP , with Ross Brawn and Nick Fry running and owning the majority of the organisation. Brawn GP laid off hundreds of employees, but won the year's world championships. BMW F1 was bought out by the original founder of the team, Peter Sauber . The Lotus F1 Team was another, formerly manufacturer-owned team that reverted to "privateer" ownership, together with
2464-418: A minute, the largest margin of victory recorded since the 1995 Australian Grand Prix . During the turbo-hybrid era, Hamilton remained unbeaten in every race affected by wet weather from the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix up to the 2019 German Grand Prix , where his almost five-year streak was broken by Max Verstappen . His wet weather drive at the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix where he clinched his seventh world title
2618-436: A natural aptitude for identifying the limits of the car; Mark Hughes, writing for the official Formula One website, described how Hamilton is "super-hard on the brakes ... but has a fantastic ability to match how quickly the downforce is bleeding off with his modulation of the pressure so that there's no wasted grip but no locked wheels either." Paddy Lowe , previously the engineering director for McLaren, described how Hamilton
2772-468: A new Concorde Agreement committing them to the sport until 2025, including a $ 145 million budget cap for car development to support equal competition and sustainable development. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the sport to adapt to budgetary and logistical limitations. A significant overhaul of the technical regulations intended to be introduced in the 2021 season was pushed back to 2022, with constructors instead using their 2020 chassis for two seasons and
2926-530: A number of Grand Prix racing organisations made suggestions for a new championship to replace the European Championship, but due to the suspension of racing during the conflict, the new International Formula for cars did not become formalised until 1946, to become effective in 1947. The new World Championship was instituted to commence in 1950 . The first world championship race, the 1950 British Grand Prix , took place at Silverstone Circuit in
3080-404: A partnership with Lego , with the first new sets releasing in 2025. The regulations governing Formula One are set to be revised for the 2026 season, with big changes planned to help encourage closer and more competitive racing. Changes include: In November 2024, General Motors reached an agreement to enter Formula 1 in 2026 with its Cadillac brand. A Formula One Grand Prix event spans
3234-470: A points deficit to Vettel in the first half of the season, ultimately wrapping the title up in Mexico with two races to spare. The 2018 season was the first time that two four-time World Champions, Hamilton and Vettel, would be competing for a fifth title and was billed as the "Fight for Five" by journalists and fans. As with the 2017 season, Ferrari and Vettel appeared to have the upper hand for much of
SECTION 20
#17327909779353388-470: A press release stating it had been informed it was not entered for the 2010 season, and an FIA press release said the FOTA representatives had walked out of the meeting. On 1 August, it was announced FIA and FOTA had signed a new Concorde Agreement, bringing an end to the crisis and securing the sport's future until 2012. To compensate for the loss of manufacturer teams, four new teams were accepted entry into
3542-581: A quality driver, very strong and only 16. If he keeps this up I'm sure he will reach F1. It's something special to see a kid of his age out on the circuit. He's clearly got the right racing mentality. — Michael Schumacher , speaking about Hamilton in 2001 Hamilton continued his progress in the Intercontinental A (1999), Formula A (2000) and Formula Super A (2001) ranks, and became European Champion in 2000 with maximum points. In Formula A and Formula Super A, racing for TeamMBM.com, his teammate
3696-516: A reason to impose rule changes that otherwise, under the Concorde Agreement, would have had to be agreed upon by all the teams—most notably the changes introduced for 1998 . This so-called 'narrow track' era resulted in cars with smaller rear tyres, a narrower track overall, and the introduction of grooved tyres to reduce mechanical grip. The objective was to reduce cornering speeds and produce racing similar to rainy conditions by enforcing
3850-437: A run only brought to an end as a result of mechanical issues as opposed to driver error. Ross Brawn wrote that "over the course of [2018], Hamilton hardly put a foot wrong, winning not only the races he should have, but also some where the opposition was stronger, and that is the true mark of a champion." Ahead of the 2021 season, Martin Brundle , commentating for Sky Sports, said "I think what has stood out about Lewis over
4004-434: A season (13, since beaten by Max Verstappen ), and most Drivers' Championships (seven, tied with Lewis Hamilton as of 2021). Schumacher's championship streak ended on 25 September 2005, when Renault driver Fernando Alonso became Formula One's youngest champion at that time (until Lewis Hamilton in 2008 and followed by Sebastian Vettel in 2010 ). During 2006, Renault and Alonso won both titles again. Schumacher retired at
4158-555: A second season, culminating in Whitmarsh tearing up Hamilton's contract; however, Hamilton called Whitmarsh six weeks later and re-signed with the team. Hamilton first tested for McLaren in late 2004 at Silverstone . Hamilton moved to the reigning Euro Series champions ASM for the 2005 season and dominated the championship, winning 15 of the 20 rounds. He also won the Marlboro Masters of Formula 3 at Zandvoort . After
4312-502: A series of high-speed bends where overtaking is rare. In Istanbul he recovered from a spin that left him in eighteenth place to take second. Hamilton won the title in unusual circumstances, inheriting the final point he needed after Giorgio Pantano was stripped of fastest lap in the Monza feature race. Hamilton's success in the GP2 championship coincided with a vacancy at McLaren following
4466-413: A series of races, known as Grands Prix . Grands Prix take place in multiple countries and continents on either purpose-built circuits or closed roads. A point-system is used at Grands Prix to determine two annual World Championships: one for the drivers , and one for the constructors (the teams). Each driver must hold a valid Super Licence , the highest class of racing licence the FIA issues, and
4620-442: A smaller contact patch between tyre and track. According to the FIA, this was to reduce cornering speeds in the interest of safety. Results were mixed, as the lack of mechanical grip resulted in the more ingenious designers clawing back the deficit with aerodynamic grip. This resulted in pushing more force onto the tyres through wings and aerodynamic devices, which in turn resulted in less overtaking, as these devices tended to make
4774-470: A team that used works Mercedes engines and was 40% owned by the German manufacturer at the time. Hamilton is the first and as of 2024 the only black driver to race in the series. After finishing on the podium in his debut, Hamilton went on to set several records, including those for the most consecutive podium finishes from debut (9), the joint most wins in a debut season (4) and the most points in
List of Formula One World Constructors' Champions - Misplaced Pages Continue
4928-427: A token system limiting which parts could be modified introduced. The start of the 2020 season was delayed by several months, and both it and 2021 seasons were subject to several postponements, cancellations, and rescheduling of races due to shifting restrictions on international travel. Many races took place behind closed doors and with only essential personnel present to maintain social distancing . In 2022,
5082-459: A two-year contract with Mercedes, reported to be worth up to £40 million per year, making him the best-paid Formula One driver in history. Hamilton led the Drivers' Championship standings for the majority of the 2019 season, fending off title challenges from team-mate Bottas, Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Ferrari's recently promoted Charles Leclerc , to clinch his sixth Drivers' crown at
5236-403: A weekend. It typically begins with two free practice sessions on Friday, and one free practice session on Saturday. Additional drivers (commonly known as third drivers ) are allowed to run on Fridays, but only two cars may be used per team, requiring a race driver to give up their seat. A qualifying session is held after the last free practice session. This session determines the starting order for
5390-399: A world championship race. It entered the 1961 British Grand Prix , the only front-engined car to compete that year. During 1962 , Lotus introduced a car with an aluminium-sheet monocoque chassis instead of the traditional space-frame design. This proved to be the greatest technological breakthrough since the introduction of mid-engined cars. In 1968 , sponsorship was introduced to
5544-559: Is allocated one set of the softest tyres for use in Q3. The cars that qualify for Q3 must return them after Q3; the cars that do not qualify for Q3 can use them during the race. As of 2022, all drivers are given a free choice of tyre to use at the start of the Grand Prix, whereas in previous years only the drivers that did not participate in Q3 had free tyre choice for the start of the race. Any penalties that affect grid position are applied at
5698-403: Is comfortable with levels of rear instability that most other drivers would find intolerable. Hamilton has also been praised for his ability to adapt to variances in the car set-up and changing track conditions; throughout his career, he has typically used less fuel than his teammates as a result of his ability to carry momentum through corners despite instability in the car. Pedro de la Rosa ,
5852-488: Is set to join Ferrari from 2025 onwards. Hamilton has been credited with furthering Formula One's global following by appealing to a broader audience outside the sport, in part due to his high-profile lifestyle, amongst his environmental and social activism. He has also become a prominent advocate in support of racial justice and increased diversity in motorsport. Hamilton was listed in the 2020 issue of Time as one of
6006-427: Is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one of the world's premier forms of racing since its inaugural running in 1950 . The word formula in the name refers to the set of rules all participants' cars must follow. A Formula One season consists of
6160-547: The 100 most influential people globally , and was knighted in the 2021 New Year Honours . Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton was born on 7 January 1985 in Stevenage , Hertfordshire . His father, Anthony Hamilton, is of Afro-Grenadian descent, while his mother, Carmen Larbalestier, is White British from Birmingham , making him mixed-race ; Hamilton's parents separated when he was two, after which he lived with his mother and older half-sisters, Samantha and Nicola, until he
6314-434: The 1955 Le Mans disaster . The first major technological development in the sport was Bugatti 's introduction of mid-engined cars. Jack Brabham , the world champion in 1959 , 1960 , and 1966 , soon proved the mid-engine's superiority over all other engine positions. By 1961 all teams had switched to mid-engined cars. The Ferguson P99 , a four-wheel drive design, was the last front-engined Formula One car to enter
List of Formula One World Constructors' Champions - Misplaced Pages Continue
6468-457: The 2002 Austrian Grand Prix . Other changes included the qualifying format, the point-scoring system, the technical regulations, and rules specifying how long engines and tyres must last. A 'tyre war' between suppliers Michelin and Bridgestone saw lap times fall, although, at the 2005 United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis, seven out of ten teams did not race when their Michelin tyres were deemed unsafe for use, leading to Bridgestone becoming
6622-406: The 2012 season, Hamilton finished fourth in the standings and achieved four race wins, despite several operational failures and reliability issues akin to the 2010 season. Motorsport.com analysis revealed Hamilton had lost an estimated 110 points due to race retirements (three while leading) and other misfortunes, which would have been enough to out-score his rivals and win the title. Prior to
6776-485: The 2014 season, which mandated the use of turbo-hybrid engines , contributed to the start of a highly successful era for Hamilton. That year saw Mercedes win 16 of the 19 races that season, 11 of those secured by Hamilton and finished every race on the podium as he prevailed in a season-long duel for the title against teammate Rosberg. Clinching his second drivers' title, and eclipsing the victory tally of all British drivers before him, Hamilton declared over team-radio after
6930-403: The 2014 Japanese Grand Prix , where Jules Bianchi collided with a recovery vehicle after aquaplaning off the circuit, dying nine months later from his injuries. Since 1994, three track marshals have died, one at the 2000 Italian Grand Prix , one at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix and one at the 2013 Canadian Grand Prix . Since Senna's and Ratzenberger's deaths, the FIA has used safety as
7084-425: The 2017 and 2018 seasons featured a title battle between Mercedes and Ferrari. Mercedes ultimately won the titles with multiple races to spare and continued to dominate in the next two years, eventually winning seven consecutive Drivers' Championships from 2014 to 2020 and eight consecutive Constructors' titles from 2014 to 2021. During this eight-year period between 2014 and 2021, a Mercedes driver won 111 of
7238-422: The 2024 season, Hamilton triggered an exit-clause in his Mercedes contract, allowing him to leave the team at the end of the 2024 season, a year before his contract was due to expire. Having been associated with the German marque since the age of 13, Hamilton explained the decision was one of his hardest to make, and he needed a new challenge and a different work environment. Following another challenging start to
7392-603: The Alfa Romeo name, Sauber introduced a title partnership with the online casino Stake.com , resulting in the team's new identity as Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber . Sauber will hold Stake's sponsorship name until the end of 2025, after which it will become the Audi works team for the 2026 season onwards. Scuderia AlphaTauri , Red Bull's junior team, dropped its name and took on sponsors from Hugo Boss and Cash App, becoming Visa Cash App RB, or VCARB for 2024. Formula One announced
7546-624: The Autosport Awards for an autograph and said: "Hi. I'm Lewis Hamilton. I won the British Championship and one day I want to be racing your cars." Dennis wrote in Hamilton's autograph book: "Phone me in nine years, we'll sort something out then." When Hamilton was 12, Ladbrokes took a bet, at 40/1 odds, that Hamilton would win a Formula One race before the age of 23; another predicted, at 150/1 odds, that he would win
7700-600: The Black Lives Matter movement, Hamilton took the knee ahead of every race he entered and wore t-shirts bearing the Black Lives Matter slogan. Hamilton and Bottas' Mercedes W11 cars also sported a black livery as a statement of Mercedes's commitment to diversity. Regulation changes for the 2021 season saw Red Bull make relative performance gains on Mercedes, winning six of the opening eleven rounds. Hamilton and Red Bull's Verstappen engaged in
7854-614: The FIA Prize Giving Ceremony held in various cities following the conclusion of the season. The Constructors' Championship was first awarded, as the International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers , in 1958 to Vanwall . In 1981 this name was officially changed to the World Constructors' Championship . The makes of both chassis and an engine are included in the constructor name. Out of
SECTION 50
#17327909779358008-633: The FIA World Motor Sport Council report finding that "human error" resulted in the failure to follow Formula One Sporting Regulations concerning the withdrawal of the safety car, adding that the final standings are "valid, final and cannot now be changed". Notwithstanding the controversy in Abu Dhabi, BBC Sport ' s Andrew Benson described the season as "one of the most intense, hard-fought battles in sporting history", with Hamilton and Verstappen having "been head and shoulders—and
8162-647: The Formula 3 Euro Series and the GP2 Series . He subsequently signed for McLaren in 2007 , becoming the first black driver to compete in Formula One at the Australian Grand Prix . In his rookie season, Hamilton won four Grands Prix and set several records as he finished runner-up to Kimi Räikkönen by one point. Hamilton won his maiden title in 2008 , making a title-deciding overtake on
8316-500: The Grand Prix Manufacturers Association (GPMA), the manufacturers negotiated a larger share of Formula One's commercial profit and a greater say in the running of the sport. In 2008 and 2009, Honda , BMW , and Toyota all withdrew from Formula One racing within a year, blaming the economic recession . This resulted in the end of manufacturer dominance of the sport. The Honda F1 team went through
8470-464: The Hungaroring —surpassing Senna and Schumacher for the most pole positions at a single circuit. Prior to the Italian Grand Prix , Hamilton signed a two-year contract extension worth over £100 million to remain with Mercedes through the 2025 season. Hamilton finished third in the standings, and was voted the second-best driver across the season by the rest of the drivers. Prior to the start of
8624-710: The Imperial Tobacco 's Gold Leaf livery at the 1968 Spanish Grand Prix . Aerodynamic downforce slowly gained importance in car design with the appearance of aerofoils during the 1968 season. The wings were introduced by Lotus's owner Colin Chapman who installed modest front wings and a rear spoiler on his Lotus 49 B at the 1968 Monaco Grand Prix . In the late 1970s, Lotus introduced ground-effect aerodynamics, previously used on Jim Hall 's Chaparral 2J in 1970, that provided enormous downforce and greatly increased cornering speeds. The aerodynamic forces pressing
8778-410: The International Cup for Formula One Constructors ); since the 1979 season points from all cars entered by each constructor have counted towards their championship total. The Constructors' Championship is won when it is no longer mathematically possible for another constructor to overtake another's points total regardless of the outcome of the remaining races, although it is not officially awarded until
8932-531: The Jaguar Racing team, new manufacturer-owned teams entered Formula One for the first time since Alfa Romeo's and Renault's departures in 1985. By 2006, the manufacturer teams—Renault, BMW , Toyota , Honda, and Ferrari—dominated the championship, taking five of the first six places in the Constructors' Championship. The exception was McLaren, which at the time was part-owned by Mercedes-Benz. Through
9086-583: The Sakhir Grand Prix after contracting COVID-19 , his first race absence since his debut in 2007. In a race drawing parallels with Senna's win at the 1993 European Grand Prix , Hamilton clinched the title at the Turkish Grand Prix with three rounds to spare and ended the season 124 points clear of his team-mate, Bottas, who finished second in the standings. Amid Formula One's We Race as One campaign and growing global support for
9240-570: The United States Grand Prix with two races remaining. After scoring his sixth career grand slam at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix , the final race of the season, Hamilton ended the season with 11 wins (matching his previous best in 2014 and 2018) and 17 podiums (matching the all-time record for a fourth time) as well as achieving 5 pole positions. His total of 413 points for the season was a new all-time record, seeing
9394-505: The World Manufacturers' Championship ( 1925 – 1930 ) and European Drivers' Championship ( 1931 – 1939 ). The formula is a set of rules that all participants' cars must follow. Formula One was a formula agreed upon in 1946 to officially become effective in 1947 . The first Grand Prix in accordance with the new regulations was the 1946 Turin Grand Prix , anticipating the formula's official start. Before World War II ,
SECTION 60
#17327909779359548-595: The records for most wins (105), pole positions (104), and podium finishes (202), among others . Born and raised in Stevenage , Hertfordshire, Hamilton began his career in karting aged six, winning several national titles and attracting the attention of Ron Dennis , who signed him the McLaren Young Driver Programme in 1998. After winning the direct-drive Karting World Cup and European Championship in 2000, Hamilton progressed to junior formulae , where his successes included winning
9702-409: The 'sprint shootout'; such a system made its debut at the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix and is set to be used throughout all sprint sessions in place of the traditional second free practice session. Sprint qualifying sessions are run much shorter than traditional qualifying, and each session required teams to fit new tyres - mediums for SQ1 and SQ2, and softs for SQ3 - otherwise they cannot participate in
9856-530: The 160 races, with Hamilton winning 81 of these and taking six Drivers' Championships during this period to equal Schumacher's record of seven titles. In 2021 , the Honda-powered Red Bull team began to seriously challenge Mercedes, with Verstappen beating Hamilton to the Drivers' Championship after a season-long battle that saw the pair exchange the championship lead multiple times. This era has seen an increase in car manufacturer presence in
10010-488: The 170 chassis constructors that have entered an F1 Grand Prix, a total of 15 have won the Championship in its 63 seasons. Ferrari holds the record for the highest number of World Constructors' Championships victories, having won the title on 16 occasions. Williams is in second position with nine Constructors' Championships and McLaren and Mercedes are in third with eight titles. With 16 titles, Ferrari has amassed
10164-538: The 2010 season ahead of a much anticipated 'cost-cap'. Entrants included a reborn Team Lotus —led by a Malaysian consortium including Tony Fernandes , the boss of Air Asia ; Hispania Racing —the first Spanish Formula One team; and Virgin Racing — Richard Branson 's entry into the series following a successful partnership with Brawn the year before. They were also joined by the US F1 Team , which planned to run out of
10318-561: The 2010 season, Mercedes-Benz reentered the sport as a manufacturer after it purchased Brawn GP and split with McLaren after 15 seasons with the team. During the 2009 season, Formula One was gripped by the FIA–FOTA dispute . FIA President Max Mosley proposed numerous cost-cutting measures for the next season, including an optional budget cap for the teams; teams electing to take the budget cap would be granted greater technical freedom, adjustable front and rear wings, and an engine not subject to
10472-558: The 2024 season, Hamilton ended his 31-month winless drought by winning his ninth British Grand Prix , breaking Schumacher's record for most wins at the same Grand Prix , and becoming the first driver to win a race beyond their 300th start. He achieved his 200th podium finish in Hungary , and another victory at the Belgian Grand Prix . His struggles in qualifying sessions, coupled with Mercedes' decline in performance after
10626-630: The Briton finish 87 points clear of second-placed Bottas. Hamilton won his seventh Drivers' title in 2020 , equalling the record set by Schumacher, in a season heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic . Over the shortened seventeen-race season, Hamilton took 11 wins (equalling his previous personal best, but in fewer races) including one in Portugal to break Schumacher's record of 91 wins. He also took 14 podiums and 10 pole positions. Hamilton missed
10780-512: The Driver's Championship standings, with securing two race wins and five podium finishes. Beginning from the 2010 season, Hamilton was partnered by the reigning World Champion Jenson Button . Although McLaren fell-short in terms of car performance and operational efficiency compared to Red Bull and Ferrari , Hamilton entered the final round of the season with a chance of winning the title, but ultimately finished fourth as Sebastian Vettel won
10934-452: The Drivers' title by five points to his teammate Rosberg. The team's policy of letting the pair fight freely led to several acrimonious exchanges both on and off the track, culminating in Hamilton defying team orders at the final race at Abu Dhabi and deliberately slowing to back Rosberg into the chasing pack at the end of the race in an unsuccessful bid to encourage other drivers to overtake his team-mate, which would have allowed him to win
11088-494: The F1 governing body announced a major rule and car design change intended to promote closer racing through the use of ground effects , new aerodynamics, larger wheels with low-profile tyres, and redesigned nose and wing regulations. Red Bull emerged as the dominant force after the rule shakeup. The 2022 and 2023 Constructors' and Drivers' Championships were won by Red Bull and Verstappen, with multiple races to spare. In 2023
11242-421: The FIA opened applications for new teams to enter Formula 1 in the then near future. Of the teams that applied, only Andretti were approved by the FIA, with them then being rejected by Formula One Management , though they have launched an appeal. In early 2024, the Formula One landscape underwent a significant change in the sphere of team sponsorships and collaborations. Having competed for five seasons under
11396-650: The UK in the 1960s and 1970s. Promoters held non-championship Formula One events for many years. Due to the increasing cost of competition, the last of these was held in 1983. This era featured teams managed by road-car manufacturers, such as Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Maserati . The first seasons featured prewar cars like Alfa Romeo's 158 , which were front-engined , with narrow tyres and 1.5-litre supercharged or 4.5-litre naturally aspirated engines. The 1952 and 1953 seasons were run to Formula Two regulations, for smaller, less powerful cars, due to concerns over
11550-524: The United Kingdom on 13 May 1950. Giuseppe Farina , competing for Alfa Romeo , won the first Drivers' World Championship, narrowly defeating his teammate Juan Manuel Fangio . Fangio won the championship in 1951 , 1954 , 1955 , 1956 , and 1957 . This set the record for the most World Championships won by a single driver, a record that stood for 46 years until Michael Schumacher won his sixth championship in 2003. A Constructors' Championship
11704-502: The United Kingdom. On eleven occasions, the World Constructors' Champion team has not contained the World Drivers' Champion for that season. All titles but one (in 1969 Matra cars entered by Ken Tyrrell 's privateer team Matra International ) have been won by cars that were entered by works teams . Among drivers that have contributed with at least a single point to the constructors' title, Lewis Hamilton has contributed to
11858-557: The United States as the only non-European-based team in the sport. Financial issues befell the squad before they even made the grid. Despite the entry of these new teams, the proposed cost-cap was repealed and these teams—which did not have the budgets of the midfield and top-order teams—ran around at the back of the field until they collapsed; HRT in 2012, Caterham (formerly Lotus) in 2014 and Manor (formerly Virgin, then Marussia), having survived falling into administration in 2014, at
12012-494: The W13's development, and find performance during the opening stages of the season to little success. Following major mid-season car upgrades, he achieved several podium finishes, including five consecutively from Canada to Hungary . Hamilton set several driver records across his sixteenth season, including most consecutive seasons with a podium finish, and a lap led. The season also marked Hamilton finishing behind his teammate in
12166-459: The World Drivers' Championship before he was 25. In 1998, Dennis called Hamilton following his second Super One series and British championship wins, to offer Hamilton a role in the McLaren driver development programme. The contract included an option of a future Formula One seat, which would make Hamilton the youngest driver to secure a contract that later resulted in a Formula One drive. He's
12320-536: The all-time win record at the Portuguese Grand Prix —to equal Michael Schumacher 's record of seven World Drivers' Championships. Hamilton became the first driver to surpass 100 race wins and pole positions in 2021 , finishing runner-up to Max Verstappen amidst a controversial finish . Following winless campaigns in 2022 and 2023 , Hamilton took his record-breaking ninth British Grand Prix victory in 2024 . After 12 seasons with Mercedes, Hamilton
12474-406: The average annual cost of running a team—designing, building, and maintaining cars, pay, transport—at approximately £220,000,000 (or $ 265,000,000), Formula One's financial and political battles are widely reported. The Formula One Group is owned by Liberty Media , which acquired it in 2017 from private-equity firm CVC Capital Partners for £6.4 billion ($ 8 billion). Formula One originated from
12628-867: The ban on driver aids was in name only, as they "proved difficult to police effectively". The teams signed a second Concorde Agreement in 1992 and a third in 1997. On the track, the McLaren and Williams teams dominated the 1980s and 1990s. Brabham was also competitive during the early 1980s, winning two Drivers' Championships with Nelson Piquet . Powered by Porsche , Honda , and Mercedes-Benz , McLaren won 16 championships (seven constructors' and nine drivers') in that period, while Williams used engines from Ford , Honda, and Renault to also win 16 titles (nine constructors' and seven drivers'). The rivalry between racers Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost became F1's central focus during 1988 and continued until Prost retired at
12782-636: The buy-out of the Renault team by Genii Capital investors. But a link with its previous owners still survived, with its car continuing to be powered by a Renault engine until 2014. McLaren also announced that it was to reacquire the shares in its team from Mercedes-Benz (McLaren's partnership with Mercedes was reported to have started to sour with the McLaren Mercedes SLR road car project and tough F1 championships, which included McLaren being found guilty of spying on Ferrari ). Hence, during
12936-403: The cars to the track were up to five times the car's weight. As a result, extremely stiff springs were needed to maintain a constant ride height , leaving the suspension virtually solid. This meant that the drivers depended entirely on the tyres for any small amount of cushioning of the car and driver from irregularities of the road surface. Beginning in the 1970s, Bernie Ecclestone rearranged
13090-482: The championship ahead of Alex Lloyd . Having clinched the championship, Hamilton missed the last two races of the season to make his debut in the season finale of the British Formula 3 Championship . In his first race he was forced out with a puncture, and in the second he crashed out and was taken to hospital after a collision with teammate Tor Graves . Asked in 2002 about the prospect of becoming one of
13244-411: The championship lead throughout 2017 in a tense title fight. Hamilton registered 11 pole positions that season as he took the record for the all-time most pole positions , and his consistency (finishing every race in the points), as well as a lack of a serious challenge from his new team-mate Valtteri Bottas , saw him record nine race victories and secure his fourth World Drivers' title as he overturned
13398-456: The dearth of Formula One cars. When a new Formula One formula for engines limited to 2.5 litres was reinstated for the 1954 world championship, Mercedes-Benz introduced its W196 , which featured things never seen on Formula One cars before, such as desmodromic valves , fuel injection , and enclosed streamlined bodywork. Mercedes drivers won the championship for the next two years, before the team withdrew from all motorsport competitions due to
13552-602: The departing Bottas, the 2022 season marked the first time in Hamilton's Formula One career where he failed to secure at least a race win or a pole position. The season saw significant changes in technical regulations which utilised ground effect . The innovative and radically different Mercedes W13 , suffered with severe porpoising early in the season, leading Hamilton to deem it "undrivable" on multiple occasions, and causing him to sustain back injuries in Azerbaijan . Hamilton frequently experimented with car setups to aid
13706-626: The departure of Juan Pablo Montoya to NASCAR and Kimi Räikkönen to Ferrari . After months of speculation on whether Hamilton, Pedro de la Rosa or Gary Paffett would be paired with defending champion Fernando Alonso for 2007 , Hamilton was confirmed as the team's second driver. He was told of McLaren's decision at the end of September, but the news was not made public for almost two months, for fear that it would be overshadowed by Michael Schumacher's retirement announcement. Hamilton's first season in Formula One saw him partner two-time and defending World Champion Fernando Alonso at McLaren ,
13860-409: The end of 1993 . Senna died at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix after crashing into a wall on the exit of the notorious curve Tamburello . The FIA worked to improve the sport's safety standards since that weekend, during which Roland Ratzenberger also died in an accident during Saturday qualifying. No driver died of injuries sustained on the track at the wheel of a Formula One car for 20 years until
14014-541: The end of 2006 after 16 years in Formula One, but came out of retirement for the 2010 season, racing for the newly formed Mercedes works team, following the rebrand of Brawn GP . During this period, FIA frequently changed the championship rules with the intention of improving the on-track action and cutting costs. Team orders , legal since the championship started during 1950, were banned during 2002, after several incidents in which teams openly manipulated race results, generating negative publicity, most famously by Ferrari at
14168-439: The end of 2016. A major rule shakeup in 2014 saw the 2.4-litre naturally aspirated V8 engines replaced by 1.6-litre turbocharged hybrid power units. This prompted Honda to return to the sport in 2015 as the championship's fourth power unit manufacturer. Mercedes emerged as the dominant force after the rule shakeup, with Lewis Hamilton winning the championship closely followed by his main rival and teammate, Nico Rosberg , with
14322-490: The end of qualifying. Grid penalties can be applied for driving infractions in the previous or current Grand Prix, or for changing a gearbox or engine component. If a car fails scrutineering, the driver will be excluded from qualifying but will be allowed to start the race from the back of the grid at the race stewards' discretion. 2021 saw the trialling of a 'sprint qualifying' race on the Saturday of three race weekends, with
14476-422: The end of the year, Hamilton announced, to much surprise, that he would be joining Mercedes for the 2013 season, replacing the retiring Michael Schumacher . Upon signing with Mercedes in 2013, Hamilton was reunited with his childhood karting teammate, Nico Rosberg . The move was met with surprise by pundits and the public, with some describing the move to Mercedes, a team with no recent history of success, as
14630-466: The fastest getting first place on the grid, referred to as pole position . From 1996 to 2002, the format was a one-hour shootout. This approach lasted until the end of 2002 before the rules were changed again because the teams were not running in the early part of the session to take advantage of better track conditions later on. Grids were generally limited to 26 cars – if the race had more entries, qualification would also decide which drivers would start
14784-511: The fastest time in Q1 will not be allowed to start the race without permission from the stewards. Otherwise, all drivers proceed to the race albeit in the worst starting positions. This rule does not affect drivers in Q2 or Q3. In Q2, the 15 remaining drivers have 15 minutes to set one of the ten fastest times and proceed to the next period. Finally, Q3 lasts 12 minutes and sees the remaining ten drivers decide
14938-433: The final in seventh, four places behind Schumacher. Although the two saw little of each other on the track, Schumacher praised the young Briton. Hamilton began his car racing career in the 2001 British Formula Renault Winter Series, finishing fifth in the standings. This led to a full 2002 Formula Renault UK campaign with Manor Motorsport in which he finished fifth overall. He remained with Manor for another year, winning
15092-497: The final race in Abu Dhabi : "This is the greatest day of my life." New Formula One driver number regulations brought in for 2014 allowed drivers to pick a unique car number to use for their entire career, and so Hamilton elected to drive under his old karting No. 44 for the remainder of his career. Before the start of the 2015 season, Hamilton announced he would not be exercising his option of switching his car number to 1, as
15246-489: The first ten grid positions. At the beginning of the 2016 Formula 1 season, the FIA introduced a new qualifying format, whereby drivers were knocked out every 90 seconds after a certain amount of time had passed in each session. The aim was to mix up grid positions for the race, but due to unpopularity, the FIA reverted to the above qualifying format for the Chinese GP, after running the format for only two races. Each car
15400-455: The greatest Formula One driver of all time. Writing in Autocar , Jim Holden suggested Hamilton might not only be among the greatest British drivers in Formula One but one of the greatest British sportsmen. Despite receiving plaudits from experts and fans in and out of the sport, Hamilton has been a divisive figure in the eyes of the general public, with some journalists arguing his exploits on
15554-491: The highest number of Constructors' Championships as an engine manufacturer, followed by Renault , Ford , Mercedes and Honda with twelve, ten, ten and six titles, respectively. Mercedes holds the record for the most consecutive constructors' titles with eight between the 2014 and the 2021 seasons. All but 17 titles (16 titles won by Italian-built Ferrari chassis and 1 title won by French-built Matra chassis) have been won by chassis that were designed and constructed in
15708-467: The impressive British Grand Prix victory, where he won the race by over a minute from second-placed Nick Heidfeld , his drive was widely acclaimed as one of Formula One's finest wet-weather drives. As the season reached its conclusion in Brazil, it became a clear two-way fight for the title between the home favourite Felipe Massa and the young Briton. Hamilton won his first title in a dramatic fashion in
15862-475: The intention of testing the new approach to qualifying. The traditional qualifying would determine the starting order for the sprint, and the result of the sprint would then determine the start order for the Grand Prix. The system returned for the 2022 season, now titled the 'sprint'. From 2023, sprint races no longer impacted the start order for the main race, which would be determined by traditional qualifying. Sprints would have their own qualifying session, titled
16016-455: The lapped cars separating Verstappen and Hamilton to un-lap themselves under the safety car, which closed the gap between the pair and allowed Verstappen, who opted to pit for soft tyres, to enter the final lap immediately behind Hamilton, who remained on worn hard tyres. Four days after the race, the FIA announced that it would conduct an internal investigation into the incident. Masi was subsequently removed from his role as race director, with
16170-471: The last lap of the last race of the season to become the then-youngest World Drivers' Champion . The dominant Red Bull - Renault combination prevailed throughout his remaining four seasons at McLaren, with Hamilton achieving multiple race wins in each, including his involvement in a four-way title battle in 2010 . Hamilton signed for Mercedes in 2013 to partner Nico Rosberg , ending his 15-year association with McLaren. Following his maiden victory with
16324-569: The last race of the season, the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix , overtaking Timo Glock for fifth position in the final corners of the last lap to become the then-youngest Formula One World Champion in history and to deny race-winner Massa the title by one point. This made Hamilton the first British driver to win the World Championship since Damon Hill in 1996. During his last four years with McLaren, Hamilton continued to score podium finishes and race victories, and twice challenged for
16478-430: The lead and win by over 30 seconds. His performance was contrasted with that of his team-mate Bottas, who spun four times and finished a lap down in 14th place. Hamilton cited the race as his "stand-out" performance of the season. Ayrton Senna was a major influence on Hamilton's driving style, recalling: "I think it's partly because I watched [him] when I was young and I thought 'this is how I want to drive when I get
16632-565: The management of Formula One's commercial rights; he is widely credited with transforming the sport into the multibillion-dollar business it now is. When Ecclestone bought the Brabham team during 1971, he gained a seat on the Formula One Constructors' Association , and in 1978, he became its president. Previously, the circuit owners controlled the income of the teams and negotiated with each individually; Ecclestone persuaded
16786-509: The most powerful open-wheel circuit racing cars ever. To reduce engine power output and thus speeds, the FIA limited fuel tank capacity in 1984 , and boost pressures in 1988 , before banning turbocharged engines completely in 1989 . The development of electronic driver aids began in the 1980s. Lotus began to develop a system of active suspension , which first appeared during 1983 on the Lotus 92 . By 1987, this system had been perfected and
16940-652: The most with eight constructors' titles, all of them with Mercedes . Constructors in bold are competing in the 2024 World Championship. Engine manufacturers in bold are competing in the 2024 World Championship. Tyre manufacturers in bold are competing in the 2024 World Championship. The table includes seasons in which a supplier won by default, as the only supplier in the series. This applies to Dunlop (4 seasons, 1960 to 1963), Goodyear (7 seasons, 1987 to 1988 and 1992 to 1996), Bridgestone (6 seasons, 1999 to 2000 and 2007 to 2010), and Pirelli (13 seasons, 2011 to 2023). Numbers in parentheses indicate championships won as
17094-452: The move as "one of the biggest driver transfer shocks the sport has known", recalling his similar shock move from McLaren to Mercedes back in 2013. This transition marks the first time in his Formula One career that Hamilton will not drive for a Mercedes-powered team. Hamilton is regarded as one of the most complete drivers on the grid, excelling across a wide range of areas. He has been described as having an aggressive driving style, with
17248-498: The opportunity' and I went out there and tried it on the kart track. My whole approach to racing has developed from there." He has been compared to Senna in raw speed. In 2010, Hamilton drove Senna's original title-winning McLaren MP4/4 as part of a tribute documentary by the BBC motoring show Top Gear . In the documentary, along with fellow racing drivers, he named Senna as the number one driver ever. Earlier in his career, Hamilton
17402-407: The perceived predictability of results during the turbo-hybrid era, likening his period of dominance to that of Schumacher in the early 2000s, and to tennis players Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova , all of whom became more appreciated in the latter part of their careers. What strikes me now about him now is his maturity ... [Hamilton] recognises he is a role model and the influence he has and
17556-494: The pit crews time to clear themselves and their equipment from the grid for the race start. Lewis Hamilton British racing driver Rivalries Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver , currently competing in Formula One for Mercedes . Hamilton has won a joint-record seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles —tied with Michael Schumacher —and holds
17710-426: The race on Sunday. Each driver may use no more than thirteen sets of dry-weather tyres, four sets of intermediate tyres, and three sets of wet-weather tyres during a race weekend. For much of the sport's history, qualifying sessions differed little from practice sessions; drivers would have one or more sessions in which to set their fastest time, with the grid order determined by each driver's best single lap, with
17864-465: The race to take his maiden drivers' crown. Multiple race retirements, particularly in the crucial latter half of the season ultimately cost Hamilton the title. 2011 was the first season he had been out-scored by a teammate, as Button finished runner-up to Vettel, during a year in which distractions in his private life and run-ins with FIA officials saw Hamilton finish a lowly fifth in the standings, after which he vowed he would return to form for 2012. In
18018-461: The race. During the early 1990s, the number of entries was so high that the worst-performing teams had to enter a pre-qualifying session, with the fastest cars allowed through to the main qualifying session. The qualifying format began to change in the early 2000s, with the FIA experimenting with limiting the number of laps, determining the aggregate time over two sessions, and allowing each driver only one qualifying lap. The current qualifying system
18172-662: The races must be held on grade one tracks , the highest grade rating the FIA issues for tracks. Formula One cars are the world's fastest regulated road-course racing cars , owing to very high cornering speeds achieved by generating large amounts of aerodynamic downforce , much of which is generated by front and rear wings. The cars depend on electronics, aerodynamics , suspension , and tyres . Traction control , launch control , and automatic shifting , and other electronic driving aids were first banned in 1994 . They were briefly reintroduced in 2001 , and have more recently been banned since 2004 and 2008 , respectively. With
18326-548: The season British magazine Autosport featured him in their "Top 50 Drivers of 2005" issue, ranking Hamilton 24th. Hamilton moved to ASM's sister GP2 team, ART Grand Prix , for the 2006 season . Hamilton won the GP2 championship at his first attempt, beating Nelson Piquet Jr. and Alexandre Prémat . He secured a dominant win at the Nürburgring , despite a penalty for speeding in the pit lane . At his home race at Silverstone , Hamilton overtook two rivals at Becketts,
18480-607: The season, Hamilton and Alonso were involved in a number of incidents which resulted in tensions between both drivers and the team, culminating in Alonso and McLaren terminating their contract by mutual consent in November. Following a successful first season at McLaren, Hamilton signed a multi-million-pound contract to stay with the team until 2012. Partnering Heikki Kovalainen , Hamilton's success continued in 2008 as he amassed five race victories and ten podium finishes. Including
18634-477: The season, topping the standings until the half-way point; however, Vettel's season unravelled with a number of driver and mechanical errors, while Hamilton's run of six wins in seven in the latter half of the season saw Hamilton clinch the title at the Mexican Grand Prix for a second year running as he set a new record for the most points scored in a season (408). During the season, Hamilton signed
18788-405: The season, winning ten races finishing on the podium a record seventeen times as he matched his hero Ayrton Senna 's three World Championships titles, and achieved his first back-to-back championship. The rivalry between him and Rosberg intensified, climaxing in a heated battle at the United States Grand Prix where Hamilton won in an action-packed, wheel-to-wheel battle with his teammate to clinch
18942-459: The session. The race begins with a warm-up lap, after which the cars assemble on the starting grid in the order they qualified. This lap is often referred to as the formation lap, as the cars lap in formation with no overtaking (although a driver who makes a mistake may regain lost ground). The warm-up lap allows drivers to check the condition of the track and their car, gives the tyres a chance to warm up to increase traction and grip, and also gives
19096-406: The sole tyre supplier to Formula One for the 2007 season by default. On 20 December 2007 Bridgestone signed a contract that officially made it the exclusive tyre supplier for the next three seasons. During 2006, Max Mosley outlined a 'green' future for Formula One, in which efficient use of energy would be an important factor. Starting in 2000, with Ford's purchase of Stewart Grand Prix to form
19250-485: The sole tyre supplier. There have been nine constructors who have achieved consecutive wins in the World Constructors' Championship. Of those, only Ferrari and Williams have won four sets of consecutive Formula One World Constructors' Championships. Constructors in bold are competing in the 2024 World Championship. Manufacturers in bold are competing in the 2024 World Championship. Formula One Formula One , commonly known as Formula 1 or F1 ,
19404-487: The sport . Team Gunston became the first team to run cigarette sponsorship on its Brabham cars, which privately entered in orange, brown and gold colours of Gunston cigarettes in the 1968 South African Grand Prix on 1 January 1968. Five months later, the first works team , Lotus, initially using the British racing green , followed this example when it entered its cars painted in the red, gold, and white colours of
19558-663: The sport. After Honda's return as an engine manufacturer in 2015, Renault came back as a team in 2016 after buying back the Lotus F1 team. In 2018, Aston Martin and Alfa Romeo became Red Bull and Sauber's title sponsors, respectively. Sauber was rebranded as Alfa Romeo Racing for the 2019 season, while Racing Point part-owner Lawrence Stroll bought a stake in Aston Martin to rebrand the Racing Point team as Aston Martin for 2021. In August 2020, all ten F1 teams signed
19712-448: The standings for the first time since 2016, finishing a career-worst sixth, 35 points behind Russell in fourth. Mercedes once again faced concerns over their car's competitiveness ahead of the 2023 season. Hamilton endured another winless campaign amidst Red Bull's record-breaking dominance, securing several podium finishes throughout. Hamilton took pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix —his first since 2021, and his record ninth at
19866-446: The summer break, prevented Hamilton from maintaining his success, admitting he "didn't want to come back" for the final three races of the season after the São Paulo Grand Prix . Ferrari announced prior to the start of the 2024 season that they had reached an agreement with Hamilton to join the team in 2025 on a multi-year contract, replacing Carlos Sainz Jr. to partner Charles Leclerc . Luke Smith of The Athletic described
20020-685: The team at the Hungarian Grand Prix , new engine regulations came into effect the following season , which saw Mercedes emerge as the dominant force in Formula One. From 2014 to 2016 , Hamilton and Rosberg won 51 of 59 Grands Prix amidst their fierce rivalry —widely known as The Silver War —with Hamilton winning the former titles in 2014 and 2015 , and Rosberg winning the latter . Following Rosberg's retirement, Hamilton twice overturned mid-season point deficits to Ferrari 's Sebastian Vettel to claim his fourth and fifth titles in 2017 and 2018 . Hamilton won his sixth title in 2019 , before breaking several records across his 2020 campaign—including
20174-536: The team winning 16 out of the 19 races that season. The team continued this form in the next two seasons, again winning 16 races in 2015 before taking a record 19 wins in 2016 , with Hamilton claiming the title in the former year and Rosberg winning it in the latter by five points. The 2016 season also saw a new team, Haas , join the grid, while Max Verstappen became the youngest-ever race winner at age 18 in Spain . After revised aerodynamic regulations were introduced,
20328-507: The teams reached an agreement to prevent a breakaway series. It was agreed teams must cut spending to the level of the early 1990s within two years; exact figures were not specified, and Max Mosley agreed he would not stand for reelection to the FIA presidency in October. Following further disagreements, after Mosley suggested he would stand for reelection, FOTA made it clear that breakaway plans were still being pursued. On 8 July, FOTA issued
20482-600: The teams to "hunt as a pack" through FOCA. He offered Formula One to circuit owners as a package they could take or leave. In return for the package, almost all that was required was to surrender trackside advertising. The formation of the Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile (FISA) in 1979 set off the FISA–FOCA war , during which FISA and its president Jean-Marie Balestre argued repeatedly with FOCA over television revenues and technical regulations. The Guardian said that Ecclestone and Max Mosley "used [FOCA] to wage
20636-672: The technological advances of the 1990s, the cost of competing in Formula One increased dramatically, thus increasing financial burdens. This, combined with the dominance of four teams (largely funded by big car manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz), caused the poorer independent teams to struggle not only to remain competitive but to stay in business. This effectively forced several teams to withdraw. Michael Schumacher and Ferrari won five consecutive Drivers' Championships (2000–2004) and six consecutive Constructors' Championships (1999–2004). Schumacher set many new records, including those for Grand Prix wins (91, since beaten by Lewis Hamilton ), wins in
20790-471: The time, would not fund him. Hamilton eventually re-signed with McLaren. According to then McLaren executive and future CEO Martin Whitmarsh , who was responsible for guiding Hamilton through the team's young driver programme, he and Anthony Hamilton had a "huge row" at the end of the season, with his father pushing for him to move up to GP2 for 2005, while Whitmarsh felt that he should remain in Formula 3 for
20944-596: The title despite Red Bull's dominance during that time-period. Major technical regulation changes in 2009 led to a challenging start for McLaren. Often qualifying outside of the top ten, and struggling to finish on points, Hamilton's chances of defending his title became unfeasible. Major upgrades at the German Grand Prix saw a dramatic improvement in performance of the McLaren MP4-24 . From that point onward, Hamilton advanced from eleventh to fifth in
21098-492: The title with three races to spare. That year, Hamilton extended his contract with Mercedes for three additional years in a deal reportedly worth more than £100 million, making him one of the best-paid drivers in Formula One, as well as allowing Hamilton to retain his own image rights, which is considered unusual in the sport, and keep his championship-winning cars and trophies. Despite recording more pole positions and race wins than any other driver in 2016 , Hamilton lost
21252-474: The title. Ultimately, a succession of poor starts from Hamilton early in the season and a crucial engine blowout at the Malaysian Grand Prix meant Rosberg took the title, which he successfully secured before announcing his shock retirement from the sport immediately after beating his rival. Following Rosberg's retirement, Ferrari's Vettel became Hamilton's closest rival as the pair exchanged
21406-478: The track as well. Drivers from McLaren , Williams , Renault (formerly Benetton ), and Ferrari , dubbed the "Big Four", won every World Championship from 1984 to 2008 . The teams won every Constructors' Championship from 1979 to 2008 , as well as placing themselves as the top four teams in the Constructors' Championship in every season between 1989 and 1997 , and winning every race but one (the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix ) between 1988 and 1997 . Due to
21560-434: The track have been underappreciated. Holden has suggested that racial bias may have contributed towards Hamilton's perceived lack of popularity relative to his achievements, with Hamilton's race and physical appearance – being mixed-race and often seen sporting earrings, dreadlocks and designer clothing – alienating some of the sport's traditional white, elderly male fanbase. Others have attributed his lack of appreciation to
21714-425: The wake behind the car turbulent or 'dirty'. This prevented other cars from following closely due to their dependence on 'clean' air to make the car stick to the track. The grooved tyres also had the unfortunate side effect of initially being of a harder compound to be able to hold the grooved tread blocks, which resulted in spectacular accidents in times of aerodynamic grip failure, as the harder compound could not grip
21868-429: The years is how few mistakes he makes, how complete he is and clean ... he just never makes a mistake [in] wheel-to-wheel combat [or] in qualifying ... He just doesn't fade, mentally or physically." Hamilton is regarded as one of the best wet-weather drivers in the sport, with some of his best performances occurring in those conditions. In the 2008 British Grand Prix , Hamilton bested second-place Nick Heidfeld by over
22022-624: The youngest ever Formula One drivers, Hamilton replied that his goal was "not to be the youngest in Formula One" but rather "to be experienced and then show what I can do in Formula One". He made his debut with Manor in the 2004 Formula 3 Euro Series , ending the year fifth in the championship. He also won the Bahrain F3 Superprix, and twice raced in the Macau F3 Grand Prix . Williams had come close to signing Hamilton but did not because BMW , their engine supplier at
22176-587: Was Nico Rosberg , who would later drive for the Williams and Mercedes teams in Formula One; they would later team up again for Mercedes from 2013 to 2016. Following his karting successes, the British Racing Drivers' Club made him a "Rising Star" Member in 2000. In 2001, Michael Schumacher made a one-off return to karts and competed against Hamilton along with other future Formula One drivers Vitantonio Liuzzi and Nico Rosberg . Hamilton ended
22330-440: Was acclaimed as one of his greatest performances—saw Hamilton eliminate a 19-point deficit to Verstappen, entering the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix level on points. In Abu Dhabi, having led the majority of the race, Hamilton was denied the championship by a last-lap overtake from Verstappen following a late safety car. The season finale was marred by controversy over race director Michael Masi 's decision to instruct only
22484-532: Was added in the 1958 season . Stirling Moss , despite being regarded as one of the greatest Formula One drivers in the 1950s and 1960s, never won the Formula One championship. Between 1955 and 1961, Moss finished second in the championship four times and third the other three times. Fangio won 24 of the 52 races he entered—still the record for the highest Formula One winning percentage by an individual driver. National championships existed in South Africa and
22638-525: Was adopted in the 2006 season. Known as "knock-out" qualifying, it is split into three periods, known as Q1, Q2, and Q3. In each period, drivers run qualifying laps to attempt to advance to the next period, with the slowest drivers being "knocked out" of qualification (but not necessarily the race) at the end of the period and their grid positions set within the rearmost five based on their best lap times. Drivers are allowed as many laps as they wish within each period. After each period, all times are reset, and only
22792-569: Was criticised for being hot-headed at times, as demonstrated when he was disqualified in Imola in the GP2 Series for overtaking the safety car, something he went on to repeat four years later in Formula One at the 2010 European Grand Prix in Valencia. Following his move to Mercedes, Hamilton was credited with demonstrating greater maturity, while maintaining his ruthlessness and aggression. The official Formula One website describes him as "invariably
22946-545: Was driven to victory by Ayrton Senna in the Monaco Grand Prix that year. In the early 1990s, other teams followed suit and semi-automatic gearboxes and traction control were a natural progression. The FIA, due to complaints that technology was determining races' outcomes more than driver skill, banned many such aids for the 1994 season. This resulted in cars that previously depended on electronic aids becoming very "twitchy" and difficult to drive. Observers felt
23100-670: Was educated at The John Henry Newman School , a voluntary aided Catholic secondary school in Stevenage. Hamilton has said that at the age of five he took up karate to defend himself as a result of bullying at school. He was also excluded from school for a period when he was mistakenly identified as having attacked a fellow student who was treated in hospital for his injuries. In addition to racing, he played association football for his school team with eventual England international , Ashley Young . Hamilton, an Arsenal fan, said that if Formula One had not worked for him, he would have been
23254-602: Was his prerogative as reigning World Champion, and would instead continue to race with his career No. 44. It was the first season since 1994 , when Alain Prost retired from the sport following his fourth and final World Drivers' Championship title in 1993 , that the field did not contain a car bearing the No. 1. Through the 2015 season, he was in the top 10 of career wins and pole positions by percentage, average starting grid position, laps led per Grand Prix, fastest laps by percentage, and podium finishes by percentage. Hamilton dominated
23408-612: Was subjected to racist abuse. Hamilton's father bought him a go-kart for Christmas when he was six and promised to support his racing career as long as he worked hard at school. To support his son, Hamilton's father took redundancy from his position as an IT manager and became a contractor, sometimes working up to four jobs at a time including employment as a double glazing salesman, dishwasher, and putting up signs for estate agents , while still attending his son's races. Hamilton's father later set up his own IT company. He continued to be Hamilton's manager until early 2010. Hamilton
23562-417: Was twelve. Hamilton then lived with his father, stepmother Linda, and his half-brother Nicolas , who is also a professional racing driver. Hamilton was raised a Catholic . Hamilton's father bought him a radio-controlled car when he was five. Hamilton finished second in the national BRCA championship the following year against adult competition. Being the only black child racing at his club, Hamilton
23716-402: Was widely acclaimed, with Joe Saward describing it as "one of his greatest performances". Despite only qualifying sixth for the race after Mercedes struggled with tyre temperatures and a track that lacked grip after being recently resurfaced, during the race he gambled on a one-stop strategy in mixed conditions whilst his rivals chose to change their tyres for a second time, enabling him to take
#934065