Hamilton claimed an emotional victory finally weekend’s British Grand Prix because it ended 945 days with out a win in Method 1.
It was the 104th victory of his profession, with Hamilton’s 103rd win coming 56 grands prix earlier than on the 2021 Saudi Arabian GP – making it the ninth-biggest hole between victories in F1 historical past.
So the seven-time world champion shed tears on the chequered flag, after additionally claiming a record-extending ninth British GP win in entrance of his vibrant residence crowd.
There was loads of reduction related to the victory and the 39-year-old even admitted to having “days the place I did not really feel like I used to be ok”, as Hamilton and his Mercedes staff have largely struggled because the laws modified in 2022.
So, what’s completely different now from when Hamilton gained the penultimate spherical of the 2021 season in Jeddah? Listed below are some examples.
Adjustments in F1 since Hamilton’s final victory
Floor-effect automobiles
A lot of Hamilton’s success got here throughout the turbo-hybrid period, which started in 2014 – a yr after he made a masterful change to Mercedes. That is as a result of the German producer tailored to the change the very best and Hamilton pipped team-mate Nico Rosberg to a second world championship in 2014.
That began a dominant run for the Briton, who claimed 5 of the following six titles profitable 62 grands prix throughout that point whereas shedding the 2016 crown to Rosberg on the ultimate day.
Hamilton was set for a record-breaking eighth championship in 2021, as he was main the Abu Dhabi season finale till a controversial name by race director Michael Masi handed the benefit to title rival Max Verstappen, who went to win.
And that has remained Hamilton’s last championship battle since, as the next season noticed the reintroduction of ground-effect automobiles which had not been seen in F1 for 40 years.
But this was a regulation change that Mercedes failed to beat, because the staff’s first floor impact automobile – the W13 – was very tough to deal with and sometimes struggled with porpoising. This was a time period not many knew on the time of Hamilton’s Jeddah win both.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12
Photograph by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Pictures
This resulted in only one win for Mercedes that season – George Russell on the Brazilian GP – because the staff additionally adopted the no-sidepod design, which was the alternative of eventual world champions Pink Bull.
It solely acquired worse for Mercedes the next season, because it went winless for the primary time in 12 years whereas Pink Bull dominated profitable 21 of twenty-two grands prix.
Not a lot initially improved in 2024 both, as Hamilton began his last season at Mercedes with no podiums within the opening 9 grands prix, however mid-season upgrades improved the automobile resulting in the Briton’s first victory of the ground-effect period.
Adjustments to the F1 calendar
The 2021 F1 season featured a then-record-breaking 22 grands prix, as Qatar and Saudi Arabia made their debuts on the calendar whereas the Netherlands ended its 35-year absence from the sequence.
Though these tracks stay in F1 right now, with the 2024 calendar solely being two rounds greater, it nonetheless appears vastly completely different to the way it did three years in the past. America, for instance, solely hosted one grand prix as Miami and Las Vegas have since joined Austin on the calendar as a part of F1’s plans to spice up its recognition in America.
China additionally returned to the calendar throughout Hamilton’s win drought, as earlier than 2024 it final featured in 2019 as a result of outbreak of COVID-19. The Briton has a record-breaking six victories at Shanghai Worldwide Circuit, however the 2024 grand prix didn’t go so effectively for him as he completed ninth regardless of standing on the rostrum within the dash race.
Hamilton additionally has a very good file at Suzuka with 5 victories, but the Japanese GP was absent from the 2021 calendar as a result of pandemic. It returned the next yr, however Hamilton has but to face on the rostrum at Suzuka since its return.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari F1-75, Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing RB18, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W13, Sergio Perez, Pink Bull Racing RB18, George Russell, Mercedes W13, the remainder of the sphere initially
Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Pictures
Numerous circuits additionally dropped off the calendar throughout Hamilton’s win drought, as 2021 was the final time Portugal, Russia and Turkey all hosted a grand prix. Portugal and Turkey initially returned as a one-off throughout the COVID-hit 2020 season however hosted yet another race the next yr, whereas F1 stopped visiting Russia after its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
F1 additionally visited France on the time of Hamilton’s final victory earlier than Silverstone, as Circuit Paul Ricard was a part of the calendar till its contract expired on the finish of 2022.
The order of the calendar has additionally modified considerably, because the Saudi Arabian GP is now in March slightly than December, Baku is in September and never June, whereas Spa-Francorchamps not comes after the summer season break.
Adjustments to the F1 grid
Hamilton’s final two victories have include a special team-mate, as Valtteri Bottas partnered him at Mercedes throughout 2021 however he joined Alfa Romeo – now Sauber – for 2022 after being changed by George Russell who was beforehand at Williams.
Williams has truly modified its full line-up since then, as Nicholas Latifi is now a retired racing driver with the 29-year-old finding out on the London Enterprise College.
Actually, neither of the present Williams pair had been on the grid on the time of Hamilton’s win in Jeddah, as Alex Albon was Pink Bull’s reserve driver whereas Logan Sargeant was in F3.
Oscar Piastri and Zhou Guanyu have additionally made their F1 debuts since then, whereas veterans Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen returned to the grid after a spell away.
Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15
Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Pictures
Many others have since left F1 throughout that point too, as former Alfa Romeo driver Antonio Giovinazzi is now within the World Endurance Championship. The all-rookie line-up that Haas had in 2021 isn’t any extra, as Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin, each of whom scored zero factors that season, not compete in F1.
The variety of world champions on the grid has additionally dropped over the previous three years, as Kimi Raikkonen retired on the finish of 2021 whereas 2022 was Sebastian Vettel’s last season. This leaves Hamilton as F1’s second oldest driver behind the 42-year-old Fernando Alonso, each of whom are two of three world champions on the 2024 grid alongside Verstappen.
Adjustments to F1 staff administration
The F1 staff principal line-up has additionally featured a serious overhaul during the last three years, as eight of the ten constructors all have a brand new boss with solely Pink Bull’s Christian Horner and Toto Wolff of Mercedes remaining from 2021.
Aston Martin was the primary staff to alter its boss post-2021, as Mike Krack changed Otmar Szafnauer in January 2022 with the previous shifting to Alpine a month later.
The following adjustments did not occur till December of that yr, as Frederic Vasseur left Alfa Romeo for Ferrari after Mattia Binotto left and Andrea Stella changed Andreas Seidl at McLaren.
Alfa Romeo and Williams additionally modified their staff boss throughout that low season, as James Vowles left his motorsport technique director function at Mercedes to interchange Jost Capito on the British squad in January 2023, whereas the Hinwil-based outfit opted for a much less typical set-up.
Frederic Vasseur, Staff Principal, Alfa Romeo Racing and Mattia Binotto, Staff Principal, Ferrari
Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Pictures
It had simply appointed Seidl as its CEO and as a substitute of hiring a conventional staff principal, the German started overseeing a administration construction consisting of Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Xevi Pujolar, Beat Zehnder, with Bravo performing as its ‘staff consultant’.
Simply 4 months after these appointments, AlphaTauri – now RB – introduced that its long-serving Franz Tost was to get replaced by Ferrari’s Laurent Mekies on the finish of 2023. There was then extra change at Alpine, as Szafnauer left by “mutual settlement” in July 2023 and was changed by Bruno Famin.
The 2023/24 low season was a bit quieter although, as Haas was the one staff to alter its staff principal with Guenther Steiner being changed by Ayao Komatsu after the American squad completed backside of the 2023 standings.
So, there have been loads of administration reshuffles throughout Hamilton’s win drought and the seven-time world champion can even have a brand new boss quickly as he’s becoming a member of Ferrari in 2025.
Adjustments exterior of F1 since Hamilton’s final victory
It isn’t solely F1 that modified throughout Hamilton’s win drought, as a lot is completely different elsewhere.
There have been 4 UK Prime Ministers
When Hamilton gained the 2021 Saudi Arabian GP, Boris Johnson was prime minister of the UK after the Conservatives claimed a landslide victory over Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour on the 2019 common election.
However, in September 2022 Johnson was ousted as chief of the Tory get together after a heavy defeat within the June by-elections amid varied scandals like Partygate. So, the Conservatives held its personal management election and Liz Truss succeeded Johnson as prime minister however solely lasted for 50 days – the second shortest tenure in historical past after Arthur Wellesley (23 days) in 1834.
The person she beat within the management election, Rishi Sunak, subsequently grew to become the third prime minister of 2022 and took the keys of 10 Downing Road simply two days after Hamilton claimed second at the USA GP.
Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing, 2nd place, Peter Bonnington, Senior Race Engineer, Mercedes-AMG F1 Staff, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Staff, 1st place, Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Staff, third place, on the rostrum
Photograph by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Pictures
Sunak’s tenure lasted for much longer than his predecessor, because the 44-year-old was in workplace for 1y255d earlier than comfortably shedding the 2024 common election to Labour’s Keir Starmer, who made it 4 prime ministers since Hamilton final gained a race.
However the tally ended at 4, as Labour was voted in simply two days earlier than Hamilton gained the British GP to cap off an eventful week for the UK.
A change within the UK Monarchy
The UK additionally had a special monarch when Hamilton gained in Jeddah, as Queen Elizabeth II was nonetheless in cost.
However, amid all of the prime minister adjustments in 2022, the Queen handed away on 8 September which ended her 70-year reign – the longest in historical past.
Hamilton, who completed fourth on the Dutch GP simply 4 days earlier, paid tribute to the Queen by way of social media describing her as “an iconic chief, an inspiration and a reassuring presence for many, if not all, of our lives”.
The 2 had truly met on a number of events, because the Queen awarded Hamilton his MBE in 2009 which was 12 years earlier than he acquired a knighthood by her son and successor King Charles III.
Hamilton grew to become a part-owner of the NFL’s Denver Broncos
Hamilton usually escapes to the Colorado mountains throughout his low season and the American state is residence to the NFL’s Denver Broncos.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG
Photograph by: Erik Junius
In August 2022, Hamilton joined the possession group of the three-time Tremendous Bowl champions who had simply been purchased by the Walton-Penner household for $4.65b.
When the information was introduced, Hamilton mentioned: “Excited to hitch an unbelievable group of householders and turn into part of the Broncos story! Honoured to work with a world-class staff and serve for instance of the worth of extra various management throughout all sports activities.”
He has since visited Denver to cheer on his staff, however Hamilton’s help has not introduced success on the pitch because the final playoff look for the Broncos got here in 2015 when it gained Tremendous Bowl 50.
