F1: Lewis Hamilton by the numbers – from pole positions to a whopping $260m in career earnings
- Lewis Hamilton’s career with F1 has been nothing short of spectacular, just take a look at his career statistics
- The most unusual is Hamilton’s obsession with the number 44, from his livery, to property purchases and charitable initiatives
When it comes to numbers, Lewis Hamilton is a fascinating study. From his obsession with the number 44, to his impressive 103 podium showings, and equally impressive career earnings, there’s no shortage of data detailing his seven-time championship record.
Hamilton goes into Sunday’s final F1 race of the year tied with title rival Max Verstappen on 369.5 points, with a record eighth World Championship on the line for the Mercedes driver. With so many numbers floating around, we thought it was high time to dig deeper into his career statistics.
2007
It was back in 2007 when Hamilton made his F1 debut with McLaren, setting several records as he finished runner-up in the driver’s championship to Kimi Raikkonen. His debut year would give fans an indication of things to come, after setting records for the most consecutive podium finishes from debut (9), the most joint wins in a debut season (4) and the most points in a debut season (109).
44
The number 44 is synonymous with the Hamilton brand, both on and off the track. For starters it’s the number of his car, despite being world champion and eligible for the coveted No 1.
But number 44 stems back to his karting days when he was just eight-years-old and beginning to make a name for himself. It’s also a deeply personal number. During an interview with the BBC, Hamilton said the number 44 was on the number plate of his father, Anthony Hamilton’s car.
Earlier this year he launched Mission 44, a foundation to help young people from under-represented backgrounds achieve their ambitions and in 2017, Hamilton bought a Manhattan penthouse for $44 million.
Hamilton is also the founder of X44, a team in the new electric off-road racing series.
