5 years ago: Lewis Hamilton won a historic seventh title

Article from AUTOhebdo n°2287, dated November 18, 2020.

The outcome had no longer been in doubt for weeks, but the virtuoso of Mercedes found a way to make the conquest of his new summit thrilling at the end of a piloting demonstration of which he has the secret on the ice of Istanbul. As elusive on the track as he is away from the circuits, the now seven-time world champion is not always unanimous, but his genius behind the wheel is undisputed.

You'll see, you'll regret it when he hangs up his helmet. His implacable domination perhaps irritates you today, but how many now welcome that of Michael Schumacher while they complained about a total lack of suspense in the early 2000s? The seven-time German world champion is no longer alone at the top of Olympus. Joining him is a fascinating pilot with a complex personality and full of contradictions, a global superstar whose story we think we know by heart but about whom we actually don't know much. Lewis Hamilton, who are you ? Perhaps he doesn't know it himself. The man seems to have lived as many lives as he has won titles: supersonic beginner and well in all respects trained at the Ron Dennis school at McLaren ; jet-setter in search of freedom and celebrity before his move to Mercedes; aspiring musician and hyperactive fashion victim, one day in Milan, the next in Shanghai; then champion of the fight for the defense of the environment and follower of veganism; finally political activist on a crusade for the emancipation of human rights and equal opportunities.

Before all that, the undisputed leader of the field was this mixed-race kid from Stevenage (United Kingdom) with modest origins, a remote-controlled car fanatic who dreamed dreams that were a priori too big for him in a sport hardly known for its diversity and accessibility. This is probably why his first words after a new driving masterclass on a wet track, synonymous with a 7th world crown, were addressed to the younger generations. To encourage them to change the world, whatever their social background. Naive? So what? In the final laps of a race where he had a date with history, Hamilton saw himself as a child crisscrossing the United Kingdom, his country that he adores and represents with pride, but where he continues to divide opinion, with his father Anthony struggling to get him to drive. In their father's car, the duo sang at the top of their lungs the Queen hit "We Are the Champions", the official soundtrack of the victorious epics, and dared to imagine themselves one day at the top of the bill. Then the tears flowed, in memory of the path traveled and the torments experienced since those young years.

© Antonin Vincent / DPPI

Oh hoist, Lewis!

To those like Sir Jackie Stewart who believe Hamilton's successes were greatly facilitated by the extraordinary quality of his material, the Briton came to remind us that he did not need to enjoy a car ultra-dominant to crush the competition, far from it. Mercedes did not have the best car in Turkey, and this was evident from the free practice sessions. Unable to warm up their tires on the new, very smooth tarmac recently laid in Istanbul, the W11s seemed to be struggling. Impressions confirmed and reinforced on Saturday when showers came to dampen the Turkish track and make grip even more precarious. Unbeaten in qualifying until then, the 2020 Mercedes suffered the law of last year's Mercedes, Racing Point monopolising the front row with its RP20s greatly inspired by last year's Silver Arrow. By snatching 6th place, almost 5 seconds behind the astonishing poleman Lance stroll In Q3, Hamilton recorded his worst qualifying result since the 2018 German Grand Prix where he started in 14th position before coming back to win after a tightrope act in the rain. Any coincidence with the scenario of the 2020 Ottoman round is undoubtedly not fortuitous. Despite 97 career pole positions, and while his teammate Valtteri Bottas, the only one who could still deprive him of the title, was in 9th place, Hamilton was fuming, an insatiable competitor for whom defeat will never have the flavor of habit.

« There was very little grip; they ruined that track with this new tarmac, he fumed with that slightly disdainful tone of voice he can have when commenting on something other than a success. The feeling is terrible. Everyone was struggling, but some did better than others, better than us anyway. That said, I'm happy with my performance, I didn't spin, I didn't make any mistakes. I did what I could with what I had in my hands. »

© Antonin Vincent / DPPI

How can we explain the Mercedes' difficulties in Turkey? After all, they had performed well in the rain in Austria earlier this season. But the temperatures were higher then and the asphalt less oily. We thus fell back into the eternal refrain about the management of Pirelli tires, the mastery of which is still as much a matter of black magic. We developed the car to perform well in high temperatures, explained Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes engineering director, after the session. This was one of the weak points of our previous cars. Therefore, we have to adapt when it is very cold. In these conditions, you want a car that would destroy its tyres on most circuits because then you would be in the right operating window.. » From then on, the prospect of a race on a wet track did not really enchant the German clan. If we look at the times over 2 or 3 laps and compare them with those of Stroll, he will put 10 seconds on us in no time. ", Shovlin whispered on Saturday night. That's exactly what was going to happen. At the start of the race, at least...

The art and the way

The return of rain shortly before the start suggested the prospect of a chaotic race, an impression reinforced by Antonio Giovinazzi's exit from the track (Alfa Romeo) during his grid lap and the somewhat embarrassing collision of George Russell (Williams) with the wall located at the entrance to the pits. However, the decision was taken to start the race in a classic way, which is not something we will complain about. When the lights went out, Hamilton immediately put down the Red Bull byAlexander albon et Max Verstappen to sneak around the inside of the first corner and emerge in 3rd position after also getting the better of Daniel Ricciardo (Renault).

These gains were short-lived as a few metres further on he veered wide and had to go around a cone to get back on track without incurring a penalty. Cut short in his momentum, he was easy prey for the Ferrari de Sebastian Vettel, author of a cannon start from 11th place, and the Red Bulls reinvigorated. On the 8th lap, Hamilton imitated Vettel by getting rid of his Maxi-Pluie tires for a set of Intermediates that had already been used. Then began a waiting phase for the Mercedes driver, stuck in the exhausts of the future driver Aston Martin, while Racing Point and Red Bull flew inexorably ahead. Hamilton didn't panic, tightened up the game as great champions know how to do in difficulty. And then, he started to increase the pace little by little by adjusting his driving to preserve his tires and he let the race come to him in an almost fluid way. Naturally. Hamilton is in his element.

« He has this ability to respond in this kind of uncertain race., Shovlin said Sunday evening. Even when he lost ground, he kept his composure. He knew that the opportunities would come later in the GP.. » The Brackley (UK) engineering boss also revealed that the team had made some adjustments before the race, particularly to the brakes to bring " more energy in the rims » and thus improve tire management in cold weather.

« For the rest, Lewis knows what to do, you can't control him from the pit wall. " concluded Shovlin. While his closest rivals stopped again for fresh Intermediates or spun, Hamilton held his ground and was soon on the heels of Sergio Perez, who had been promoted to the lead following Stroll's second pit stop. On lap 37, the Briton launched an unstoppable attack approaching Turn 12 to take the lead. What followed was a breathtaking final third of the Grand Prix, with Hamilton holding off his Mexican runner-up by over 31 seconds at the finish! His Intermediates were hardly any better, and looked almost like Slicks by the time Hamilton took the chequered flag.

« The tires went through different phases, his boss later explained Toto wolff. Everyone who took new Intermediates and pushed quickly found themselves with graining and their tyres never recovered. Lance (Stroll) was solidly in the lead and took new tyres. I thought that was the right strategy but he slipped down the order. Same for Max (Verstappen). The difference is that Lewis hunkered down at the beginning when the car wasn't very competitive. He held on and started to chip away at the advantage when it mattered. He understood the tyre and found the way to drive it to make it go fast. The result of the race didn't matter in the grand scheme of things but Lewis is still hungry, he made no mistakes and showed how determined he has been all year to execute his mission to perfection. He was impeccable. » There was Monaco and Silverstone 2008, Hockenheim 2018, in this crazy cavalcade on wet ground, which allowed Hamilton to combine victory and championship for the first time since 2015 and his 3rd title, won in Austin (United States). The Briton sublimated the raw talent that was obvious from his sparkling debut in 2007, by adding colossal experience, an inextinguishable thirst for learning, and unwavering determination. His driving lessons fascinate as much as his moral lessons can annoy.

In his bubble

The only driver to transcend the boundaries of his sport, the new seven-time world champion has decided to use the global showcase his status offers him to make his voice heard on burning social issues. A supporter of the "Black Lives Matter" movement which fights against racial inequality, Hamilton convinced Mercedes and its many partners to change the traditional livery of the Silver Arrows to repaint them in black. He did not hesitate to involve the Formula 1 in his fight against racism by pushing the various stakeholders to include in the pre-race protocol ceremony a specific slot to defend this noble cause by taking a knee, even if it means creating a certain embarrassment among his peers.

The Briton is also one of the driving forces behind the program launched by Liberty Media to promote diversity and inclusion in the world of motorsport. He also supports the American group's desire to place the sport in a sustainable development logic. However, his positions are not to everyone's taste. It must be said that Hamilton sometimes develops his ideas in a clumsy manner. For example, at the start of the season, he accused those who refused to speak out on the subject of complicity in racism. Many fans urge Hamilton not to mix sport and politics and consider him ill-placed to lecture on the environment given his job, his lifestyle, and his tax expatriation from the United Kingdom, where he divides opinion. It is divisive without us knowing exactly why., Ben Hunt, who has been following Hamilton full-time for The Sun newspaper since 2012, told us. It was partly due to his slightly American accent, but also his honesty when he explained that he was moving to Switzerland to pay less tax. He was too transparent. And then there was that story about unpaid VAT on his private jet. (revealed in the Panama Papers at the end of 2017. Editor’s note). But he has done nothing illegal and is among the 5000 biggest taxpayers in the country. »

Hunt points out that the uprooting of a David Coulthard or Jenson Button in Monaco has never caused much of a stir across the Channel. Could skin colour be a factor in Hamilton's treatment? Personally I don't think so, as there are many very well-known and popular athletes of colour in the UK., says Phil Duncan, who has been covering Hamilton's career for the Press Association for five years. There is a kind of love-hate relationship between Lewis and the British public. Some love him, others find him haughty, aloof, the kind of person who lectures you on morality. But you have to remember that his every move has been scrutinised for as long as he can remember. He lives a life under a microscope. »

For his colleague Hunt, it is the absence of a traditional childhood that can explain the clumsiness of the most decorated pilot in history. It was as if he had been put in a greenhouse to grow like a vegetable and become a racing driver., image the reporter of the Sun. His father took great care of him, Lewis didn't go to the teenage parties where you get your head upside down. He was controlled by his father, he was then bossed around by McLaren. It was only when he arrived at Mercedes that he began to emancipate himself. In the meantime, he had become a superstar, a multi-millionaire icon. He has to be careful who he associates with. Who are his real friends today? No one really knows, but it's safe to say that he doesn't have many friends from childhood, nor in the world of motor racing. »

© Antonin Vincent / DPPI

In his inner circle, we know Angela Cullen, the fitness trainer whose praises he has sung since they began working together in 2016; we know a little less about his manager, former driver Marc Hynes. Hamilton may not have waited for Covid-19 to live in a bubble, of which he only gives a truncated glimpse via the myriad of reflections shared on the distorting mirror of social networks. I never spoke to him informally over a meal or a drink., regrets Jonathan McEvoy, who has followed Hamilton since his exploits in GP2 in 2006 on behalf of the Daily Mail. It's quite incredible when you think of the great sportsmen who came before him: Bobby Charlton, Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart, Andy Murray. No one is as isolated, distant and unavailable as Lewis.. » Wary of the press, the Mercedes driver can count on the unconditional support of an impressive community of fans, united under the name "Team LH", very active and ready to defend its champion tooth and nail at the slightest criticism. As for a possible lack of "Britishness", we will recall that this Member of the Order of the British Empire has unfailing admiration for the Queen of England and also has an impressive collection of crowns, which he did not inherit!

The man who wanted to change the world

While Hamilton may not have won everyone's approval, it's hard to find fault with the driver, who has never crossed the red line on the track. Oh sure, there have been a few mean things: those thinly veiled allusions to team orders given in favor of Fernando Alonso at the 2007 Monaco GP, the incredible mix-up during qualifying in Budapest that same year when Hamilton was blocked by the Spaniard in the pits after refusing him priority on the track a little earlier; the imbroglio that led to his disqualification at the 2009 Australian GP for trying to fool the stewards; sharing on Twitter the telemetry of his teammate Jenson Button at the 2012 Belgian GP; the numerous skirmishes with Nico Rosberg during their stormy collaboration at Mercedes. But all this remains small fry compared to the dirty tricks of which the one he equals in the list of achievements unfortunately proved guilty. Hamilton is not a choirboy, but he has kept deep down that kid who dreamed out loud of dominating the world, and now wants to transform it as a man.

« Winning a world championship is a personal thing, he confided before going a little deeper into the annals of his sport. But a Pilots title doesn't necessarily have an impact on people's lives. I'm even more proud of the fight we're leading for equality and the defense of human rights. » In this quest, Hamilton knows that his status as a sporting icon and undisputed boss of the grid is his best weapon to try to promote and accelerate the transformation he calls for. All that to say that he risks getting on the nerves of his detractors for a little while longer. It's up to you to decide whether you don't want to let yourself be tempted to savor his XXL performances every race weekend. You'll see, we'll still be talking about it in many years to come.

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