The question has been asked all week long and once again Lewis Hamilton was ready to answer it. “I do believe that everyone here racing comes to win,” he said when asked whether a crash between he and rival Max Verstappen could decide the destination of the Formula One drivers’ title. “I would like to believe everyone wants to do it the right way – I don’t even let that creep into my mind.”
One of the great title battles in years is set to come down to one, winner-takes-all race at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix today. For Verstappen it would be a first title, for Stevenage-born Hamilton it would be a record-breaking eighth.
In his youth, as Hamilton moved up the rankings of competitive go-karting his father, Anthony, told him: “Always do your talking on the track.” There is little doubt that Hamilton has done that. He is currently in his 15th consecutive season with at least one race win (a record shared with Michael Schumacher), a run started when he chalked up a record-equalling four during his debut season in 2007. Finishing second in the championship that year, he would take the first of his titles in 2008.
Having raced a total of 287 times in F1 (so far) Hamilton holds the records for most race wins (103) and most podium finishes (181) and was given a knighthood for “services to motorsports” in the New Year honours for 2021 (that award was part of the overseas and international list, thanks to Hamilton residing in Monaco).
This story is from the December 12, 2021 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the December 12, 2021 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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