Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton is statistically the greatest F1 driver in the history of the sport. The seven-time world champion has amassed a long list of records to his name since he made his debut in the 2007 season with McLaren.
He first joined the German team in 2013 and saw great success with them which includes six of seven driver championships and leading them to eight consecutive constructors titles from 2014 to 2021. At the end of the 2024 season, he will finally be leaving the Brackley-based outfit to join Ferrari on a multi-year deal.
Hamilton will be replaced by Mercedes junior driver Kimi Antonelli in 2025, who is touted to be the next big talent in motorsport. Many in the motorsport world have already claimed that the Italian driver could become one of the best in the sport in the future.
However, there are some records of Lewis Hamilton that the 18-year-old won’t be able to break in his F1 career. Below are three such records:
#1 Fewest world championship seasons before the first title – 2 for Lewis Hamilton
15 years ago lewis hamilton won his first world championship in brazil 🏆❤️ pic.twitter.com/HKpiVTxIyg
— eri (@hamxnda) November 2, 2023
Lewis Hamilton took only two full seasons to win his first World Championship in F1 as he narrowly defeated then-Ferrari driver Felipe Massa at the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix in dramatic fashion.
The Brit holds the record fewest world championship seasons before the first title with 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, with both drivers showcasing their talent from rookie season onwards.
It would be very difficult for Kimi Antonelli to repeat the feat as he would need some time to embed himself at the pinnacle of motorsport and get accustomed to the team.
#2 Most entries with single OEM
Ever since his junior career, Hamilton has been related to Mercedes and even made his debut in the sport with the Mercedes engine at the back of the McLaren in 2007.
The British driver has only been associated with one single engine manufacturer in his entire F1 career and would leave the German brand at the end of the 2024 season after making 356 starts with a Mercedes engine.
Although Antonelli has had a similar route to F1 as the 39-year-old given his association with the automotive giant, it would be unlikely that he would overhaul this feat.
#3 Most race starts with one manufacturer
Lewis Hamilton raced for the first time in a Mercedes F1 car at the 2013 Australian Grand Prix and will end his association with them in Abu Dhabi in 2024. The partnership between the two has been the most successful in the sport’s history, given the amount of race wins that they have accumulated over the period.
At the end of the season, Lewis Hamilton will end his time with Mercedes with 245 race starts for them, a record that might stand the test of time. Given his nationality, it might be difficult for Kimi Antonelli to ignore the lure of racing with Ferrari at some point in his F1 career.
The Italian team would be keen to services of Antonelli as early as possible so that they can win world titles with an Italian driver.