Hamilton 100: Landmark Lewis achievement in Opta numbers

By Sports Desk September 26, 2021

Lewis Hamilton broke new ground with his 100th Formula One victory at Sunday's Russian Grand Prix.

The defending champion already had the most victories in F1 history, having surpassed Michael Schumacher's 91 last season.

And Hamilton became the first driver to reach three figures as he emerged victorious in a dramatic race in Sochi, where Lando Norris spun off the track in the rain.

The Mercedes superstar badly needed this triumph, having fallen behind Max Verstappen again following the mid-season break.

Another championship this year would take Hamilton past Schumacher outright in another regard as an eight-time F1 king.

The records continue to pile up, with Stats Perform examining the numbers that make up Hamilton's latest stunning achievement.

 

CLEAR OF THE CROWD

Schumacher's 91 wins represented a daunting total until Hamilton came on the scene, with Alain Prost's 51 second on the list at the time of the Briton's breakthrough triumph in Canada in 2007.

Now Hamilton is on top and seems set to stay there for a long, long time.

Sebastian Vettel is his closest rival among active drivers, but the Aston Martin man – winless since Singapore in 2019 – is way back on 53 victories.

Hamilton also owns the record for the most wins with a single team, with 79 of his century secured in a Mercedes.

One benchmark that appears out of Hamilton's reach is Juan Manuel Fangio's remarkable winning percentage, with 24 victories from 51 grands prix giving the five-time champion a success rate of 47.1 per cent.

Among drivers with three or more wins, Hamilton's 35.5 per cent – 100 from 281 – is third, also behind Alberto Ascari (40.6 per cent).

PROFITING FROM POLE

Of course, the win was Hamilton's second F1 century, having clinched his 100th pole at this year's Spanish GP – a tally he improved with another in Hungary at the start of last month.

Of those 101, 59 have brought victories. Schumacher's 40 wins from pole put him a distant second on that particular list.

That means Schumacher is well clear still in terms of successes from further back on the grid, accounting for 51 of his wins but only 41 of Hamilton's.

After Sunday, Hamilton now has three victories from fourth, plus 27 from second, seven from third, one from fifth and two from sixth. Only in Germany in 2018, having qualified in 14th, has the 36-year-old won from behind the front three rows.

 

HEROICS AT HOME... AND IN HUNGARY

Hamilton passed up the opportunity to reach three figures at the Hungarian GP, where victory would have made him the first man to register nine wins at a single event.

He also has eight British GP triumphs, while Schumacher had the same number at the French GP.

Of course, the eight Silverstone successes mean Hamilton has the most home wins in F1 history. Prost previously held the record with six victories in his native France.

Seven British GP celebrations in the hybrid era are also unsurpassed.

The Silver Arrows great has come out on top at 28 different events and 29 different circuits – two more highs, ahead of Schumacher (22 and 23).

SUSTAINED EXCELLENCE

Having signed a two-year contract extension in early July, it appears inevitable that Hamilton will move clear of Schumacher by another measure in 2022.

The pair are currently tied with victories in 15 different F1 seasons, both achieving the feat in successive campaigns.

With five successes this year through 15 rounds, Hamilton faces a huge ask to match his 11-win mark from the past three years.

The former McLaren man has never had more than 11 in a single campaign, also finishing with that tally in 2014.

That followed his worst year in terms of wins, with just a single victory in 2013. Only in 2017 (nine) has Hamilton since dipped below double-figures until 2021.

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