{"id":13722,"date":"2017-10-29T20:51:13","date_gmt":"2017-10-30T01:51:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=13722"},"modified":"2017-10-29T21:04:31","modified_gmt":"2017-10-30T02:04:31","slug":"why-lewis-hamilton-has-secured-his-place-among-the-greatest-f1-drivers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=13722","title":{"rendered":"Why Lewis Hamilton Has Secured His Place Among The Greatest F1 Drivers"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"hide-on-mobile\">\n<header class=\"content__head tonal__head tonal__head--tone-feature \">\n<div class=\"tonal__standfirst u-cf\">\n<div class=\"gs-container\">\n<div class=\"content__main-column\">\n<div data-link-name=\"standfirst\" data-component=\"standfirst\">\n<div class=\"content__article-body from-content-api js-article__body\" data-test-id=\"article-review-body\">\n<p><strong><span class=\"drop-cap\"><span class=\"drop-cap__inner\">A\u00a0<\/span><\/span>decade ago, the opening to what was to be a dramatic season heralded the arrival of an exceptional talent in Formula One. Back then, as the sport came to terms with the remarkable start made by the 22-year-old\u00a0<a class=\"u-underline\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/sport\/lewis-hamilton\" data-link-name=\"auto-linked-tag\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Lewis Hamilton<\/a>, no one could quite foresee the impact this precocious and fearless youngster would make. Ten years on, the jury is in and the verdict is unanimous: Hamilton is now within a race of securing his fourth world championship, that early promise more than fulfilled. The Briton is not the same man, nor the same driver, but his place in the pantheon of great F1 drivers has been assured.<\/strong><\/p>\n<aside class=\"element element-rich-link element-rich-link--upgraded\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-1 | 1\">\n<div class=\"rich-link tone-news--item \">\n<div class=\"rich-link__container\">\n<div class=\"rich-link__image-container u-responsive-ratio\"><strong><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/f13b9eea8c4b7e737802258d673206642777375e\/0_136_3840_2304\/master\/3840.jpg?w=460&amp;q=55&amp;auto=format&amp;usm=12&amp;fit=max&amp;s=5f9c931f4b0f1ae77ce4cf2feaed4ee2\" \/><\/strong><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-link__header\">\n<h1 class=\"rich-link__title\"><strong><a class=\"rich-link__link\">Lewis Hamilton on way to being the greatest F1 driver, says Toto Wolff<\/a><\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p><strong>In securing the title he will overtake Sir Jackie Stewart, who has reigned as the most successful British driver since he won his third championship after coming back from 20th to take fourth at Monza in 1973. Hamilton will have surpassed him after a season that has pushed him to his limit, when his rivalry with Ferrari\u2019s Sebastian Vettel has been measured by the finest of margins and neither driver could afford the smallest of misjudgments.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>For Hamilton, it has demanded absolute focus, commitment and skill, and he has displayed them all. It is the feat of a driver reaching the peak of his powers.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>In 2007, he was partnered at <a class=\"u-underline\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/sport\/mclaren\" data-link-name=\"auto-linked-tag\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">McLaren<\/a> with the reigning double world champion, Fernando Alonso. In such exalted company and driving for one of F1\u2019s dominant teams, successfully learning the ropes would have been an achievement. But he took third at the opening race in Australia and went on to score eight more consecutive top-three finishes, including two wins at Montreal and Indianapolis. That run of nine podium finishes equalled Jim Clark\u2019s feat and doing so in his rookie year established a record that is unlikely to be bettered.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"teads-inread sm-screen\">\n<div id=\"teads1\" class=\"teads-player\"><strong><span style=\"line-height: inherit;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-13723\" src=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/4322-HAM-CHAMP-300x180.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/4322-HAM-CHAMP-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/4322-HAM-CHAMP-768x461.jpg 768w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/4322-HAM-CHAMP-1024x614.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/4322-HAM-CHAMP-1080x648.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/4322-HAM-CHAMP-627x376.jpg 627w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/4322-HAM-CHAMP-440x264.jpg 440w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/4322-HAM-CHAMP.jpg 1225w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>He outperformed Alonso and the title would only elude him after worn tyres ended his race in the entrance to the pit lane in China and a gearbox problem took its toll at the final round in Brazil.<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Hamilton promptly proved his showing had been no fluke by winning his maiden world championship the following year, passing Timo Glock at the last corner of the final lap in Brazil to finish in fifth place, beating Ferarri\u2019s Felipe Massa to the title by a point.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Damon Hill first met Hamilton at the Autosport awards after he had won the title for Williams in 1996, when the future champion was a young karter, and Hill believes Hamilton is now reaching his peak. \u201cThere is no question that Lewis\u2019s talent and passion and his mission to pursue his dream has been consistent and he has now fulfilled those ambitions,\u201d he says.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cFrom a very early age he has had some intimation that he has a talent that he wants to allow full rein and he has absolutely done so.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Hamilton spent a further five years at McLaren before joining Mercedes for 2013, at the time considered a bold move to a new team. Paddy Lowe was engineering director at McLaren and joined him as executive director at Mercedes when Hamilton switched. With Lowe now at Williams, this is the first year he has not worked alongside Hamilton but he has been a close witness to how far the Englishman has travelled in F1. \u201cIn the beginning of his career he made more mistakes,\u201d says Lowe. \u201cHe maybe reacted less well when things didn\u2019t go well but, nevertheless, his performance was remarkable even in the very early days.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Two more titles followed with Mercedes, in 2014 and 2015, and this season, after nine wins in what has proved to be a testing car and with a strong challenge from Ferrari, Lowe has no doubt about Hamilton\u2019s standing in F1. \u201cLewis is one of the greats of the sport,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd his career is not done yet. He will emerge as one of the very greatest drivers of all-time.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cThis year has been a fantastic job. He has driven the most mature season of his career. He has held it together through difficult periods. At difficult races he has always been there racing sensibly and scoring the points and from that will emerge a deserved champion.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"dfp-ad--inline2\" class=\"js-ad-slot ad-slot ad-slot--inline ad-slot--offset-right ad-slot--inline2 ad-slot--rendered\" data-link-name=\"ad slot inline2\" data-name=\"inline2\" data-mobile=\"1,1|2,2|300,250|fluid\" data-desktop=\"1,1|2,2|300,250|620,1|620,350|fluid|300,600\" data-google-query-id=\"CLfoxNbRltcCFUswaQodp7wGcQ\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/59666047\/theguardian.com\/sport\/article\/ng_6__container__\" class=\"ad-slot__content\"><strong><span style=\"line-height: inherit;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-13724\" src=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/lewis-hamilton-mercedes-2017-british-gp_4003123-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/lewis-hamilton-mercedes-2017-british-gp_4003123-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/lewis-hamilton-mercedes-2017-british-gp_4003123.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>This is far from hyperbole and Lowe is not alone in his glowing assessment. Assuming Hamilton joins Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel on four titles, only Michael Schumacher (seven) and Juan Manuel Fangio (five) will have won more.<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Hill also believes Hamilton deserves to be ranked alongside the greats. \u201cWith Lewis you are seeing precision that is something else,\u201d he says. \u201cYou saw it with people like Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. He seems to be now driving with a relaxed command of his talent and his car, it really is something to behold.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cThere is no way you couldn\u2019t compare him favourably to Stewart and Senna, Clark and Fangio, the great artists of driving. He has that sublime talent.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Hill\u2019s father, Graham, won his second title at the Autodr\u00f3mo Hermanos Rodr\u00edguez in 1968 and John Surtees became the first \u2013 and only \u2013 man to win world titles on four as well as two wheels, when the four-times 500cc motorcycling champion took the F1 crown here in Mexico in 1964. Hamilton is likely to join them on Sunday because he has put in some exceptional drives. Not only has he maximised the difficult weekends where he struggled with the car but was untouchable at Silverstone, Monza and <a class=\"u-underline\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/sport\/2017\/oct\/22\/lewis-hamilton-wins-us-grand-prix\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">last Sunday at the US Grand Prix in Austin<\/a>, flawless under pressure at Spa, and ruthless at Vettel\u2019s expense in Singapore, Malaysia and Japan.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>They were headline moments but the former driver Johnny Herbert singles out his performance in the wet <a class=\"u-underline\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/sport\/2017\/sep\/02\/lewis-hamilton-monza-f1-pole-record-69-michael-schumacher\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">during qualifying at Monza as exemplifying his talent<\/a>. \u201cIt was unbelievable, just brilliant,\u201d he says. \u201cWhat he was able to do, to rotate the car, the application of the brakes, how he picked up the throttle. I have only seen it a few times in my career when Nigel Mansell had to wrestle the car around a circuit and the only other one was Ayrton.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-13725\" src=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/f1-australian-gp-2016-lewis-hamilton-mercedes-amg-f1-team-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/f1-australian-gp-2016-lewis-hamilton-mercedes-amg-f1-team-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/f1-australian-gp-2016-lewis-hamilton-mercedes-amg-f1-team-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/f1-australian-gp-2016-lewis-hamilton-mercedes-amg-f1-team.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Hamilton is at an age that Hill identifies as squarely in the middle of the perfect point to reach the top of his game. \u201cThere is sweet spot for drivers between the ages of 30 and 33,\u201d Hill says. \u201cThey have accrued all the experience and still have the fearlessness and the drive and\u00a0motivation.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>There is clearly no lack of drive, no faltering of ambition, from Hamilton and he appears motivated enough to sign another contract with Mercedes. As mighty an accomplishment as the fourth title would be, there may yet be much more to come.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cHe is the fastest, most complete driver on the grid,\u201d says Herbert. \u201cI still don\u2019t think we have seen the best of him yet. He is just getting stronger and getting better. For me Lewis is on a level par with any of the greats you wish to name.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"contributions__epic \" data-component=\"mem_acquisition_epic_epic_ease_of_payment_just_one_pound\">\n<p><strong style=\"line-height: inherit;\"><strong style=\"line-height: inherit;\">Damon Hill joins other experts in paying tribute to his fellow Briton who is celebrating 10 years at the top of his sport.<\/strong><\/strong><strong>Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton <small><a title=\"Order of the British Empire\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Order_of_the_British_Empire\">MBE<\/a><\/small>\u00a0is a <a title=\"Formula One drivers from the United Kingdom\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Formula_One_drivers_from_the_United_Kingdom\">British racing driver<\/a> who races in <a title=\"Formula One\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Formula_One\">Formula One<\/a> for the <a title=\"Mercedes-Benz in Formula One\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mercedes-Benz_in_Formula_One\">Mercedes AMG Petronas<\/a> team. A four-time <a title=\"List of Formula One World Drivers' Champions\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Formula_One_World_Drivers%27_Champions\">Formula One World Champion<\/a>, he is often considered the best driver of his generation and widely regarded as one of the greatest Formula One drivers in the history of the sport.<span style=\"font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 20px;\">\u00a0<\/span>He won his first World Championship title with <a title=\"McLaren\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/McLaren\">McLaren<\/a> in <a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"2008 Formula One season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2008_Formula_One_season\">2008<\/a> before moving to <a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"Mercedes AMG Petronas\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mercedes_AMG_Petronas\">Mercedes<\/a>, where he won back-to-back titles in <a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"2014 Formula One season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2014_Formula_One_season\">2014<\/a> and <a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"2015 Formula One season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2015_Formula_One_season\">2015<\/a> before winning a fourth in <a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"2017 Formula One season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2017_Formula_One_season\">2017<\/a>, making him one of the most successful Formula One drivers of all time. The most successful British driver in the history of the sport, Hamilton has <a title=\"List of Formula One Grand Prix winners\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Formula_One_Grand_Prix_winners\">more race victories than any other British driver in Formula One<\/a> (62), and holds records for the <a title=\"List of Formula One driver records\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Formula_One_driver_records#Career_points\">all-time most career points<\/a> (2,580), the <a title=\"List of Formula One driver records\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Formula_One_driver_records#Other_driver_records\">most wins at different circuits<\/a> (24), the <a title=\"List of Formula One polesitters\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Formula_One_polesitters\">all-time most pole positions<\/a> (72), as well as achieving the\u00a0<a title=\"List of Formula One driver records\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Formula_One_driver_records#Most_podium_finishes_in_a_season\">joint-most podium finishes in a season<\/a> (17).<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Born and raised in <a title=\"Stevenage\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Stevenage\">Stevenage<\/a>, <a title=\"Hertfordshire\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hertfordshire\">Hertfordshire<\/a>, Hamilton&#8217;s interest in racing started when his father bought him a\u00a0<a title=\"Radio-controlled car\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Radio-controlled_car\">radio-controlled car<\/a> when he was six. He was signed to <a title=\"McLaren young driver programme\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/McLaren_young_driver_programme\">McLaren&#8217;s young driver support programme<\/a> in 1998, after he approached McLaren team principal <a title=\"Ron Dennis\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ron_Dennis\">Ron Dennis<\/a> at an awards ceremony three years earlier and said &#8220;one day I want to be racing your cars&#8221;. After winning the <a title=\"British Formula Renault Championship\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/British_Formula_Renault_Championship\">British Formula Renault<\/a>, <a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"Formula Three Euroseries\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Formula_Three_Euroseries\">Formula Three Euroseries<\/a>, and <a title=\"GP2 Series\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/GP2_Series\">GP2\u00a0<\/a>championships on his way up the racing career ladder, he made his Formula One debut twelve years after his initial encounter with Dennis, driving for <a title=\"McLaren\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/McLaren\">McLaren<\/a> in <a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"2007 Formula One Season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2007_Formula_One_Season\">2007<\/a>. Coming from a <a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"British Mixed\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/British_Mixed\">mixed<\/a> background, with a black father and white mother, Hamilton is the first and only <a title=\"Black people\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Black_people\">black<\/a> driver to race in Formula One.<sup id=\"cite_ref-6\" class=\"reference\"><\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-13731\" src=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Lewis-Hamilton-Mercedes-642316-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Lewis-Hamilton-Mercedes-642316-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Lewis-Hamilton-Mercedes-642316.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>In his first season in <a title=\"Formula One\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Formula_One\">Formula One<\/a>, Hamilton set numerous records as he finished runner-up in the <a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"2007 Formula One season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2007_Formula_One_season\">2007 Formula One Championship<\/a> to <a title=\"Kimi R\u00e4ikk\u00f6nen\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kimi_R%C3%A4ikk%C3%B6nen\">Kimi R\u00e4ikk\u00f6nen<\/a>, by just one point. He set records for the <a title=\"List of Formula One driver records\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Formula_One_driver_records#Other_driver_records\">most consecutive podium finishes from debut<\/a> (9), the <a title=\"List of Formula One driver records\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Formula_One_driver_records#Other_driver_records\">joint most wins in a debut season<\/a> (4) and the most points in a debut season (109). <a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"2008 Formula One season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2008_Formula_One_season\">The following season<\/a>, he won his first World Championship in dramatic fashion; on the last corner of the last lap in <a title=\"2008 Brazilian Grand Prix\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2008_Brazilian_Grand_Prix\">the last race of the season<\/a>, becoming the then-youngest <a title=\"List of Formula One World Drivers' Champions\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Formula_One_World_Drivers%27_Champions\">Formula One World Champion<\/a> in history. After four more years with\u00a0<a title=\"McLaren\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/McLaren\">McLaren<\/a> without finishing higher than fourth in the drivers&#8217; standings, Hamilton signed with <a title=\"Mercedes-Benz in Formula One\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mercedes-Benz_in_Formula_One\">Mercedes AMG Petronas\u00a0<\/a>for the <a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"2013 Formula One Season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2013_Formula_One_Season\">2013 season<\/a>, reuniting with his childhood karting teammate, <a title=\"Nico Rosberg\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nico_Rosberg\">Nico Rosberg<\/a>. In his first season, he finished 4th once again, the third time in five years.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Two successful seasons followed as Hamilton won his second and third titles. Hamilton won 11 races in <a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"2014 Formula One season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2014_Formula_One_season\">2014<\/a>, in a closely fought championship battle with <a title=\"Nico Rosberg\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nico_Rosberg\">Nico Rosberg<\/a>, decided in the <a title=\"2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2014_Abu_Dhabi_Grand_Prix\">final race of the season<\/a>, where Hamilton secured his second World Championship title by winning the race. The next season saw Hamilton seal his third World Championship title with 3 races remaining, in a season where he won 10 races and finished on the podium a record-tying 17 times and matched his hero, <a title=\"Ayrton Senna\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ayrton_Senna\">Ayrton Senna<\/a>&#8216;s, three World Championships. In <a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"2016 Formula One season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2016_Formula_One_season\">2016<\/a>, Hamilton set the record for the most wins in a season without winning the World Championship, winning 10 times as he finished runner-up to <a title=\"Nico Rosberg\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nico_Rosberg\">Nico Rosberg<\/a>, before triumphing over the resurgent <a title=\"Scuderia Ferrari\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Scuderia_Ferrari\">Ferrari<\/a> driven by <a title=\"Sebastian Vettel\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sebastian_Vettel\">Sebastian Vettel<\/a> in <a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"2017 Formula One season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2017_Formula_One_season\">2017<\/a> to win his fourth World Championship title.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"toclimit-4\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content__main tonal__main tonal__main--tone-feature\">\n<div class=\"gs-container\">\n<div class=\"content__main-column content__main-column--article js-content-main-column \">\n<div class=\"js-score\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n<div class=\"js-sport-tabs football-tabs content__mobile-full-width\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n<figure id=\"img-1\" class=\"media-primary media-content() \" data-component=\"image\" data-media-id=\"30d70482e539b3175bc54cc412ae76e971590eb1\">\n<div class=\"u-responsive-ratio\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/30d70482e539b3175bc54cc412ae76e971590eb1\/0_55_4322_2593\/master\/4322.jpg?w=620&amp;q=20&amp;auto=format&amp;usm=12&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=6acf75cf34e58bb3c534484ad8deb904 1240w\" media=\"(min-width: 980px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 980px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" sizes=\"620px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/30d70482e539b3175bc54cc412ae76e971590eb1\/0_55_4322_2593\/master\/4322.jpg?w=620&amp;q=55&amp;auto=format&amp;usm=12&amp;fit=max&amp;s=8d442b372b9543c27b73cc314d90bb9d 620w\" media=\"(min-width: 980px)\" sizes=\"620px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/30d70482e539b3175bc54cc412ae76e971590eb1\/0_55_4322_2593\/master\/4322.jpg?w=700&amp;q=20&amp;auto=format&amp;usm=12&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=864f8f8ac257f907dcd487620a688b19 1400w\" media=\"(min-width: 740px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 740px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" sizes=\"700px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/30d70482e539b3175bc54cc412ae76e971590eb1\/0_55_4322_2593\/master\/4322.jpg?w=700&amp;q=55&amp;auto=format&amp;usm=12&amp;fit=max&amp;s=ba3134cb946a06ae6470a6267a3ed08c 700w\" media=\"(min-width: 740px)\" sizes=\"700px\" \/><source 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\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A\u00a0decade ago, the opening to what was to be a dramatic season heralded the arrival of an exceptional talent in Formula One. Back then, as the sport came to terms with the remarkable start made by the 22-year-old\u00a0Lewis Hamilton, no one could quite foresee the impact this precocious and fearless youngster would make. Ten years [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13724,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11,8,144,1314,1456,1156,13,14,1,537,12,7,9,10],"tags":[1226,1341,1608,2119,2118],"class_list":["post-13722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-entertainment","category-f1-racing","category-global-business-entrepreneurs","category-global-news-updates-and-more","category-global-sports","category-health","category-most-commented","category-news","category-racing","category-scitech","category-sports","category-us","category-world","tag-lewishamilton","tag-1341","tag-1608","tag-2017-wins-62-podiums-116-career-points-2","tag-formula-one-world-championship-career-nationality-united-kingdom-british-2017-team-mercedes3-car-number-444-entries-206-206-starts-championships-4-2008","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13722","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13722"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13722\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13724"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}