Lewis Hamilton Put His 2017 Title at Stake So That Valtteri Bottas Could Win His Deserved Podium

Lewis Hamilton, ever since his debut in 2007, has shown how fiercely competitive he is. However, he once risked a championship win to honor the word he had given to his then-teammate Valtteri Bottas. Hamilton gave up a podium finish that day to see his Mercedes partner stand in his place.

10 races had already passed in the season when Hamilton was locked in a fierce title fight with Sebastian Vettel. Then came the 2017 Hungarian GP when Hamilton needed his teammate’s help to finish P2 and gain some crucial points against Vettel, who was cruising ahead for the win. To do that, he had to overtake Kimi Raikkonen and to do that, he needed Bottas to step aside and give up P3.

Hamilton, however, promised to give the place back to the Finn in case he failed to catch Raikkonen. The Briton could not catch up to the Ferrari driver and promptly returned the place back to Bottas on the final lap of the race. The display of sportsmanship could have easily backfired, though. That is because Max Verstappen was lurking closely behind Bottas. Fortunately for Mercedes, the Dutchman could not catch the Finn.

Speaking post-race, Hamilton admitted the move was risky but he had to honor his word to Bottas. He said, “Hopefully, the way I drove today, and how I behaved at the end, shows that I am a team player and a man of my word.”

Bottas, during his time with Mercedes, has played nothing but the team game to help Hamilton on several occasions. To see his champion partner return the favor, was a gesture appreciated by him. Thanking Hamilton for the move, he said, “Not every teammate would give the swap back if you are running for a podium place.”

Lewis Hamilton turned the tide to win the championship against Sebastian Vettel

Going into the 2017 season, Hamilton and Vettel were tied on 4 championship wins each. While Hamilton had the momentum of three consecutive championships going in his favor, Vettel emerged as the biggest contender as Ferrari delivered a quick car. Going into the Hungarian GP, the German driver led his rival by one point.

The win for him was a massive blow to Hamilton’s championship prospects. Moreover, he voluntarily gave up three points by conceding the position to his teammate. While Hamilton admitted the move was risky and could cost him dearly, a glorious script awaited him.

The eventual championship winner won 5 of the next six races. That pretty much sealed the outcome of the driver’s championship. Vettel, on the other hand, managed to win just one race in the remaining season.

Hamilton won the championship by 46 points. Bottas claimed third position in the standings behind Vettel with just 12 points separating the two.