How many Formula 1 wins has Lewis Hamilton achieved?

When was Lewis Hamilton's first win?

Hamilton started his Formula 1 career in 2007 and didn't have to wait long until his first victory. On debut in Australia, Hamilton reached the podium and already sent warning signs to the rest of the paddock. Hamilton stepped onto the podium in all of his first five events. His sixth F1 race was the 2006 Canadian Grand Prix. Starting from pole position, Hamilton survived two safety car periods to take the first win of his career. Just one week later, in Indianapolis, Hamilton achieved the feat again. It wasn't until the 10th race of his career when Hamilton failed to reach the podium. 

Hamilton made up for missing the podium by winning the next event. His 3rd win came at the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix, a venue he would go on to win at on eight different occasions in his career. Hamilton won one more race in his debut season. 

2008 title-winning season

After losing the title by one point in his debut year, Hamilton returned to the track at the 2008 Australian Grand Prix. The British driver won the first race of the season. Hamilton secured his first victory in the streets of Monaco in May 2008, a place he would go on to call home. He achieved his first win at the British Grand Prix in Silverstone in the same year. Another venue where he has climbed to the top step of the podium on eight occasions. He would win his final race in 2008 at the penultimate Grand Prix. 

Hamilton finished 5th in the final race of the season. He overtook a slow-moving Timo Glock on the final lap to earn five points and enough to take the title despite rival Felipe Massa winning in front of his home fans. 

Underperforming McLaren

Hamilton went on to win just two races in 2009 and three races in each of the 2010 and 2011 seasons. He couldn't consistently challenge for the title in those years, as the Red Bull became the dominant car with Sebastian Vettel in the cockpit. Similar can be said in 2012 though he won four races that season. Enough was enough, and Hamilton made a 'risky' move to Mercedes for the start of the 2013 season. 

Hamilton ensured he kept his record alive of winning a race in every season. At the 2013 Hungarian Grand Prix, Hamilton recorded his first victory for the Mercedes team, which was a foreshadowing for the next decade. 

Dominance at Mercedes

Mercedes had mastered the then-new turbo-hybrid engines in Formula 1 and stormed out of the blocks as the quickest team. In 2014, 2015 and 2016, Hamilton only had to worry about his teammate Nico Rosberg. Hamilton's tally of victories quickly increased, and at the 2014 Chinese Grand Prix, Hamilton secured victory number 25. 

Hamilton won 10 times in 2014 and 2015 as he saw off Rosberg. But the German came back fighting hard in 2016. Hamilton achieved his 50th Grand Prix victory at the 2016 USA Grand Prix, which formed part of four consecutive victories to close out the season. That run of form wasn't enough to beat Rosberg for the World Championship because his title rival finished second at each of those four events. Hamilton's engine issue at the 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix cost him dearly, and he lost the title by five points. 

Hamilton faced a challenge from Vettel and Ferrari in 2017 and 2018, but Mercedes were ultimately too strong in the second half of the season. By the time the 2020 season started, Hamilton had already achieved 84 wins and had Schumacher's tally in his sights. 

Records tumble, and then the wins dry up

2020 was arguably Hamilton and Mercedes' most dominant season, and the records tumbled. Schumacher's record was equalled at the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix and beaten two weeks later in Portugal. By race 14 (out of 17), Hamilton had equalled Schumacher for the number of World Championship titles. Hamilton won eight races in 2021, but it wasn't enough to stop Max Verstappen from winning the World Championship in one of the most heated Formula 1 seasons ever.

Since introducing the new rules and regulations, Hamilton struggled but finally won a race in July 2024 after a 945-day wait. He didn't have to wait long for another win. Despite not making an overtake on Russell in the closing stages of the Belgian Grand Prix, the seven-time World Champion won as a result of a disqualification for his teammate.