Acknowledging Lewis Hamilton’s Merit as a Ten-Time World Champion

Unveiling the Three ‘Lost’ Championships: Hamilton’s Missed Opportunities for Decade-Long Dominance

Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time World Champion, has left an indelible mark on Formula 1, but the narrative takes a compelling turn when exploring the three championships that eluded him, potentially making him a ten-time champion. Beyond the recent Abu Dhabi Grand Prix drama, Hamilton’s untold stories of mechanical setbacks and unforeseen mishaps have shaped his illustrious career.

You might add 2012 to the list because McLaren had the fastest vehicle, but recurrent operational and reliability difficulties deprived Hamilton a chance to challenge Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso in his penultimate year before switching to Mercedes in 2013.

2007: Hungarian Heartbreak 

The 2007 season featured a tense title battle among Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Kimi Raikkonen. Despite leading the standings, McLaren’s strategic error during the Chinese Grand Prix cost Hamilton the championship. Raikkonen emerged victorious by a point, leaving Hamilton to reflect on a missed opportunity that hinted at undisclosed political machinations.

With a three-way title fight looming, good cop Bernie Ecclestone managed to persuade bad cop Max Mosley not to kick Hamilton or Alonso out of the Drivers’.

Hamilton led the way to China with 107 points, Alonso had 95, and Kimi Raikkonen had 90. Raikkonen has a 17-point deficit to close with only 20 seconds remaining in the race.

To win the championship, Hamilton only needed to finish within one point of Alonso and six points of Raikkonen.

However, McLaren, which was engaged in open battle with Alonso – their own driver – held Hamilton out on worn intermediates so long that he skated into a gravel trap when eventually pitting as Raikkonen won.

Going into Brazil, the standings were Hamilton 107, Alonso 103, and Raikkonen 100.

Hamilton was thrown wide at Turn 4 on the first lap before gearbox issues dropped him far down the field and forced him into a recovery drive, although tire degradation was significant.

He needed sixth to win the championship if Raikkonen won, but he could only manage seventh after Raikkonen fortuitously jumped teammate Felipe Massa in the final pit stops…

Raikkonen won by a point, and Hamilton has since hinted that he now knows what happened behind-the-scenes politically, but that he cannot discuss it because his aspirations of being a rookie World Champion were dashed.

2010: Spanish Misfortune 

Hamilton’s 2010 campaign took an unfortunate turn during the Spanish Grand Prix when a tyre rim failure led to a late-race crash, costing him crucial points. The subsequent statistics reveal that with those lost points and adjustments to Sebastian Vettel’s bonus points, Hamilton would have secured the championship by a five-point margin.

As the statistics below show, Hamilton finished the four-way shootout in Abu Dhabi with 240 points, 16 behind champion Vettel.

If the lost 18 points are added, and Vettel forfeits the three bonus points he received in Barcelona, Hamilton wins the championship by five points.

Had things gone his way in 2007, victory in 2010 would have been his third in four years in F1.

2016: Engine Woes and Starts 

The 2016 championship saga unfolded with Hamilton’s engine failure in Malaysia and struggles with poor starts. Despite consistent pole positions, his inability to convert them into victories, combined with setbacks in Australia, Bahrain, Spain, Italy, and Azerbaijan, allowed Nico Rosberg to clinch the championship by a mere five points.

He started on pole in Australia, Bahrain, Spain, and Italy, but failed to win any of them, famously collapsing in Spain with teammate Nico Rosberg.

Hamilton finished second to Rosberg in Melbourne and Monza, with a 14-point swing each, but only third in Bahrain, with a 20-point swing to Rosberg.

The then-annual funk weekend in Azerbaijan also cost him a 30-point swing, as Rosberg won and Hamilton finished sixth due to engine setting issues.

While Hamilton’s career boasts seven championships, these untold chapters shed light on what could have been—a staggering legacy of ten titles. Each season tells a tale of missed opportunities, unforeseen challenges, and the elusive pursuit of total dominance in the world of Formula 1.