While Lewis Hamilton remains the longest-serving active driver on the F1 grid, he doesn’t yet hold the record for the most race starts in history. However, the 39-year-old is inching closer to that title, having now equaled Kimi Raikkonen as the driver with the second-most race starts in F1.
Raikkonen, who made his F1 debut in 2001, had 350 race starts. He drove in the sport for nine years before stepping away in 2010, only to return in 2012. As such, he missed out on several races, which could have made Hamilton’s task of matching him more difficult.
Additionally, during the early and mid-2000s, when Raikkonen was in his prime, F1 did not have as many races as it does today. The number of Grand Prix on the calendar increasing gradually has helped Hamilton catch the 2007 World Champion.
#F1 | James Allison on Lewis Hamilton’s 350th Grand Prix start:
“Lewis has had a career that, I think, won’t ever be many he’d by any other driver. And for him to have done it all with one engine supplier, with Mercedes’ engines is, I think, particularly remarkable.”
“We are… pic.twitter.com/zOaSlxY9pw
— deni (@fiagirly) September 25, 2024
However, Hamilton won’t share the second-place spot with Raikkonen for long. F1 action resumes in two weeks with the 2024 United States GP, where Hamilton will make his 351st race start.
The seven-time World Champion is also showing no signs of wanting to retire. He will join Ferrari in 2025, meaning he’ll not only widen the gap between himself and Raikkonen but also set his sights on claiming the number one spot for most race starts in F1 history.
First place currently belongs to Fernando Alonso, who has 396 race starts. Catching Alonso wouldn’t have been an issue for Hamilton if the Spaniard—despite being 43 years old—hadn’t chosen to continue in the sport. Like Hamilton, Alonso also has a contract in F1 until at least 2026, meaning he’ll continue to add to his tally and is set to reach the 400-race mark later this season.
Hamilton also holds the unique record for the most race starts with a single team. At the 2020 Abu Dhabi GP, the British driver made his 200th start for Mercedes, becoming the first-ever driver to reach this milestone with the same team.
