After Melbourne, it was a mixed feeling for me. I am a Lewis Hamilton fan and an enthusiast of F1, so I know it wasn’t going to be a fairy tale where Lewis dons red and then starts kicking from the go, but I must admit I was pretty down initially after the race. But after careful review and a reflection on how an offset the Australian GP was, I stanned and believed we will still rise.
It’s a no-brainer, Lewis is the greatest F1 driver of all time. Yes, the sport has existed for 75 years and has seen brave, intelligent, daring, and fast drivers, but the greatest is a whole, encompassing several aspects of life and specialty. Apart from being the greatest statistically, Hamilton is the most influential Formula One driver of all time, with a massive commercial value as an ambassador, impacting several aspects of Formula One and inviting diverse eyeballs that transcend generations and endeavors.
In my first F1 article, which I wrote after Abu Dhabi 2021 – yeah, yeah, yeah. I stated that, “being Black is onerous. It can’t be overemphasized. And being a successful black person is even more arduous. The fields are littered with mines, and we are forced to swallow all kinds of bullshit.” Even though Hamilton has 7 World Championships across multiple teams, the chatter around him always sounds as if he still has something to prove. Because largely, the sport and the media that covers it bear inherent racist tendencies, so they find it difficult to recognize and accept Lewis in his true status.
I cringe when some commentators overleverage the fact that this was the first time Lewis was driving a car that wasn’t powered by a Merc engine, and the fact that he was in a new team and will need time to acclimatize and learn how to drive the car efficiently. This is not because I was oblivious to this nuance, but those statements mostly sounded like an excuse. But I am appalled by those critics with their racist undertones and selective amnesia who blatantly disregard his great achievements.
Lewis won his first title at McLaren after narrowly missing out on becoming the first rookie to win an F1 title. Mind you, his teammate was the two-time world champion, Fernando Alonso. He then moved to Mercedes against all odds and dominated the sport like never before, being the first and only black driver in Formula One. Schumacher is undoubtedly one of the greatest drivers in Formula One, but when he returned to racing at Mercedes after a short retirement, it was nothing but an underwhelming stint. But no opinioner describes his career by that average stint, he is always Michael Schumacher, the 7-time world champion and the greatest of all time.
Alonso is one of the most domineering racers of his generation and undoubtedly one of the greats to ever paddle an F1 machinery, but hasn’t won a single race since 2013. Yet they still celebrate his one-off performances like a championship win.
In China, Hamilton was averaging about 0.200 to Leclerc’s pace during free practice, so when his sprint pole lap was over 0.200 of what Leclerc could set, I knew we were up to something special. So, when the checkered flag dropped after a masterclass Sprint at 4 am, I raced to lay down the first part of this article in anticipation of a thrilling Quali and a statement-making race.
Well, that didn’t happen. The rest, they say, are on YouTube and socials. But the long break from this article reemphasized the first part so I will double down. Hamilton is in Red and has nothing to prove. When you get betrayed by something you share love and passion for, it steals a piece of you. And no matter how strong you are as a person, these things can change you.
The car you drive in Formula One makes a great difference, even though this fact usually has different interpretations depending on the subject. Lewis has been unlucky with the new regulations. Coming from that nightmare in the desert, there couldn’t be any worse reality than waking up in an underperforming shit box as Toto puts it. Notwithstanding, he was able to optimize and achieve podiums and even sensational wins in 23 and 24. By the way, he dragged that underperforming Merc to 3rd in the overall drivers’ standing in 2023, yet he is unable to adjust to the new ground effect rules.
There’s a pseudo reality being forced to create the impression that the Red Bull is a slow car. So, when they get to a suitable track and can nail the setup, and he puts it on pole, then we have the confetti going up with the genius banner because Max Verstappen just dragged a tractor to pole. But it is insignificant when Lewis puts a P4 Ferrari that he is driving for the second time in season trim on Sprint pole and goes ahead to dominate and win a 19-lap race by +6.889 seconds. After all, it’s just Sprint and doesn’t offer point that goes to impact the constructor’s decider at the end of the season, right.
Blasphemers try to diminish Lewis’ greatness by saying he had that success because he was in the fastest car, which is a fallacy. But even at all points that he did, he always had a formidable teammate whom he had to battle and dominate. Unlike Max, who’s always had an average teammate except Riccardo, we will always hear rumors that he will leave Red Bull anytime the team’s performance dips. After all, you don’t need the fast car to win, right.
Again, Lando said, all you need is the fastest car, and you can win everything. Fast forward, he has the fastest car and could barely win anything. This is due to his usual unforced errors, but also chiefly because he has a fast teammate in Oscar Piastri. So, when Hamilton comes in as a rookie against a two-time world champion, nearly beats him in the first round, and goes on to dominate him in subsequent rounds, you need to put some respect on his name.
Maybe they would have recognized his greatness if he had collided with Max on the last lap that night in Abu Dhabi like their greatest did to secure a world title. I don’t want people to make excuses for Hamilton. I don’t think he wants that either, but we must be circumspect and put forth our criticisms and opinions in proper context.
Ferrari had the second fastest car at the end of last season. That will be tempting for anyone to experience, plus, it’s Ferrari. But coming into this last season of this regulation, they decided to change their car, and now have to play catch-up. When Leclerc said P4 was the limit in Jeddah, that was indicative that the SF-25 isn’t the fastest on the grid, especially in qualifying trim. But for Lando being Lando and the sensational defense battle Hamilton pulled for two laps during the race, Leclerc will be nowhere on that podium. And that ultimately took a toll on Hamilton’s tires, which got him stacked in 7th.
Charles wouldn’t have deserved a seat in F1 if Hamilton popped up in that car and just drove off. Leclerc has been in that team forever, and his feedback forms the fundamentals of that car’s design, so it is a no-brainer for him to be able to deal with its flaws and maximize output. Formula One cars look similar in terms of their outlook but very distinct in nature.
So, the next time you mention the name, Sir Lewis Hamilton, please put some respect on it. I may be back after the summer break to tell you more. I believe Lewis will figure his way around that SF-25 and put up his signature sensations, maybe even win races. Maybe that doesn’t happen, maybe this car spec proves a bit too difficult for his driving style, and 2026, with the new rules set, will tell a different story. But none of these outcomes influence the fact that Lewis Hamilton is the greatest F1 driver across multiple eras and the most valuable and influential motorsports personality of all time.
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I met Ali in high school, and he played for the school team. Now, as a trained teacher, he is focused on introducing and teaching the game of basketball to children of diverse backgrounds and instilling in them a sense of responsibility, discipline, and the culture of nature conservation.
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