Hamilton reaches 400 starts with a career of extremes behind him

Lewis Hamilton reaches a milestone this weekend at Interlagos: his 400th Grand Prix start, a mark no driver in Formula 1 history has achieved without taking time away from the sport.

The Ferrari driver made his debut for McLaren in 2007. Across 20 seasons, he has recorded 106 victories, 209 podiums and 105 pole positions, and has won the world championship seven times. His career has stretched across three decades, with victories in each – a distinction that sets him apart even from Fernando Alonso, whose total stands at 444 starts.

The milestone arrives at a circuit tied closely to some of Hamilton’s biggest moments. For more on the venue, see our guide to Interlagos.

Interlagos and wet-weather drives define Hamilton’s highs

Hamilton’s 2008 British Grand Prix win is often remembered for its command in difficult, wet conditions. He controlled the race at Silverstone and lapped most of the field. His seventh title came in 2020 at the Turkish Grand Prix, where he managed a single set of intermediate tyres on Istanbul Park’s newly resurfaced, low-grip track.

Interlagos hosted another defining chapter in 2008. Rain late in the season finale brought a crucial tyre decision, while a last-lap pass at the final corner secured the championship for Hamilton.

His 2021 Brazilian performance was another major recovery. A disqualification from qualifying and a separate engine penalty left him starting the grand prix 10th. After climbing from 20th to fifth in the sprint, he won on Sunday, fighting Max Verstappen along the way.

Not all of Hamilton’s victories are viewed as equally revealing, with some wins during Mercedes’ hybrid-era dominance attributed in part to the car’s advantage. His recovery in the 2018 German Grand Prix and his 2014 Bahrain battle with Nico Rosberg are cited as performances that showed his ability in more demanding circumstances.

Abu Dhabi heartbreak and difficult seasons mark the other side

The most painful setback came at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Hamilton finished second to Verstappen after race control allowed only five lapped cars between the title rivals to pass the safety car before a final-lap restart. The decision denied Hamilton a record eighth championship. An FIA inquiry later said the handling of lapped traffic resulted from human error, while finding that race director Michael Masi had acted in good faith.

Earlier disappointments included a costly pit-entry mistake at the 2007 Chinese Grand Prix, after McLaren kept him on worn intermediate tyres, and his disqualification from the 2009 Australian Grand Prix following the “Liegate” controversy. The 2011 season brought repeated collisions and steward visits; in 2016, an engine failure while leading in Malaysia shifted the title fight towards teammate Nico Rosberg.

Mercedes’ early struggles under the 2022 ground-effect rules brought another prolonged spell outside the front-running form Hamilton had known. This weekend’s start will add a new entry to a career shaped by both landmark triumphs and hard losses. The question of what comes next remains part of the conversation around Hamilton’s Ferrari redemption hopes.