Lewis Hamilton has had such a long and successful Formula 1 career that he many a time breaks a new record every time he gets into the car for a Grand Prix. And the Hungarian Grand Prix saw him achieve his 200th career podium. However, when asked during the post-race media round about the record, he played down the significance of the numbers.
He used the milestone to take a candid dig at his fellow podium finishers, the two McLaren drivers of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. When asked if his 200th podium meant something to him, Hamilton responded by saying,
“The number doesn’t, I just think about these two [pointing to Norris and Piastri] and how young these guys are! They were wearing nappies when I started!”
Tom: “200 podiums, this surely this means something?”
Lewis: “The number doesn’t, I just think about these two and how young these guys are! They were wearing nappies when I started!”
— Ky (@FiftyBucksVT) July 21, 2024
And Hamilton is not far off in his assumption. Norris was just eight when he started his F1 career and Piastri was just six.
Hamilton’s third-place finish in Hungary saw the end of Mercedes’ winning streak in 2024 after George Russell won the Austrian Grand Prix and the 39-year-old himself won the British Grand Prix. However, Hamilton wouldn’t mind it at all, having achieved an incredible milestone.
Can Hamilton win another race in his last season with Mercedes?
Having registered 200 podiums in his 18 years in Formula 1, it’s a bit odd to say that Hamilton only has registered three podiums in 2024. But that’s just down to how Mercedes has been struggling for pace in the last two seasons.
Out of the 200, the victory at his home track, Silverstone, was one of the most emotional podiums for Hamilton as fans heard him crying after crossing the chequered flag. It was a well-deserved victory for Hamilton, having not stepped on the top step of the podium since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
“Jag kan inte tro det för att vara ärlig”
Lewis Hamilton hade väntat 945 dagar på att få vinna ett GP
Se höjdpunkter och förarintervjuer efter Storbritanniens GP på https://t.co/EB0GW8rbYa pic.twitter.com/9TNDScQbmk
— Viaplay Motor (@ViaplayMotorSE) July 7, 2024
It was also his final race win at home with Mercedes, a team he has achieved so much success with. Many believe that it might very well have been his last race win with the Brackley-based squad since he will move to Ferrari in 2025.
