Lewis Hamilton
There are nineteen other Formula 1 drivers, asking themselves. “just how the hell do I beat Lewis Hamilton.” None of them have yet found the answer. He now holds the record of 93 wins. But that’s not what makes him great. It’s what he does when it doesn’t all go his way. Jensen Button, himself a World Champion, and Lewis’s team mate at Mclaren. Said when Lewis left to join Mercedes and partner Nico Rosberg. “Nico had better watch out, Lewis can get speed out of a bad car.”
Take the British Grand Prix a few years back. Lewis as expected takes pole position in qualifying. But no one expected the time. It was a scintillating new record. No one was going to beat it, he knew it and was getting out of the car. Suddenly his time disappeared of the screens. Disallowed for exceeding track limits. Hamilton gets back in the car. By this time has can just about make it to the start finish line before qualifying ends. I remember thinking, I hope he can at least still get pole. With only one single opportunity, he produced the identical lap. Taking pole. Mere mortals like us cannot do that, it’s just not possible. Unless you’re Lewis Hamilton.
Monaco. Poor qualifying, a circuit it is next to impossible to pass on. The race starts wet, Hamilton is about sixth, going nowhere. The track starts to dry, everyone heads for the pits to change from wet to intermediate tyres. Except Hamilton who now has a long lead, but the wrong tyres. Somehow he alone managed to keep life in his his tyres. When the track dried further he went straight onto slicks. Having now only stopped once. Whilst everyone else had stopped twice. He won the race easily.
Imola, recently. Again not on pole. Messed the start and runs third. A narrow track with few passing opportunities. The leaders stop for fresh tyres. Hamilton, no longer held up starts putting in blistering laps. He tries to open up enough of a lead to be able to, in turn stop for tyres and still come out in the lead. Remember he is still on his original tyres. He starts to do it. But back-markers loom, these will take time to pass. The team ask him. Can you get another 10 laps out of those tyres. This will enable him to pass the back-markers and continue to stretch his lead to give him time for the stop.
Fate lends a hand. A safety car is called, slowing the field. Hamilton dives for the pits. Emerges with new tyres and a healthy lead. Lucky? Yes, but winners often make their own luck. They place themselves in a position to take advantage of any luck that comes their way. If he hadn’t eeked out those extra laps from his original tyres he would have finished third.
That’s why he is now entering the realm of the truly greats. Even when it’s not going his way, he still finds a way to win.
