Mercedes has dominated F1 since 2014 with Lewis Hamilton leading the way. With no end in sight, Hamilton could become the all-time leader in wins and world championships.
SILVERSTONE, England—July 15th—What a great weekend it was for the nation of England with international sporting events galore! There was Wimbledon, a word cricket championship for the home team, and, of course, the running of the British Grand Prix.
Hamilton at the Monaco Grand Prix (PlanetF1)
In Formula 1, local hero Lewis Hamilton won for the sixth time at Silverstone. Hamilton partied with the crowd, driving his car near the stands on his cool-down lap. And once he got out of the car, Hamilton ran over to the stands to acknowledge the crowd with high-fives and handshakes.
But Hamilton wasn’t just celebrating one win or just another victory. He’s in line to win his sixth world driving title in a sport that he is just flat-out dominating.
Ever since new turbo V-6 engines were introduced in 2014, Formula 1 has changed from Red Bull and Ferrari winning, to domination by Mercedes with Hamilton and his current teammate, Valtteri Bottas. That duo has compiled many 1-2 front row grid positions and wins, mostly for Hamilton himself.
Fangio in his Maserati 250F (photo, Motorsport)
With the exception of former Mercedes pilot Nico Rosberg–who defeated Hamilton back in 2016 for his first and only title–it has been a Hamilton over and over again. And he’s now being compared to other past champions who’ve graced F1 circuits in a similar fashion.
There was Juan Manuel Fangio, who went from a former car mechanic to a five-time world champion; Alain Prost, who never dominated, but still won four titles; Aryton Senna and Jackie Stewart, who each won three championships; and the unforgettable Michael Schumacher, who won seven world titles in the early 2000s.
Hamilton is on a tear. He not only has a vision of taking more than seven championships but of also breaking Schumacher’s record of 91 victories–something that Hamilton could do within a year if he continues at his current pace.
Perhaps the big question is who will eventually end Hamilton’s reign–as Fernando Alonso did to Schumacher in 2006. This weekend (this entire season, for that matter) has been a Mercedes fest except for the race in Austria. The only real action has been mainly in the midfield among McLaren, Renault, Racing Point, Toro Rosso, and Haas. But that fight doesn’t have an outcome until the final race of the season.
Yes, this past week’s race had plenty of excitement, but it was Hamilton’s luck that won it in the end.
The new rules this season were supposed to help others challenge the Silver Arrows. But as it has been for the last five seasons, Mercedes seems to get one step ahead of everybody else, including Ferrari, which has taken a step back with no wins this year. One win was taken away (in Canada) when Sebastian Vettel swung in front of Hamilton illegally after overshooting a turn while leading the race. Vettel was penalized and, with that, Hamilton’s time took first.
Ironically, the next race is on Vettel’s home turf in two weeks, which involves Mercedes in an off-track event. The good news, announced last week, is that German Grand Prix is confirmed for 2020 and 2021. Conversations are underway about a longer-term extension.
