Lewis Hamilton holds the record for most wins at different Grands Prix, but does that mean he won every Grand Prix in existence?
Lewis Hamilton hasn’t won every Grand Prix on the Formula One calendar since his debut in 2007. The Indian Grand Prix, the Korean Grand Prix, and the European Grand Prix were dropped from the schedule before he had a chance to win them.
Keep reading to learn more about Hamilton’s Grand Prix wins and losses, and which circuits are his absolute favorites.
Hamilton’s Grand Prix Records
Lewis Hamilton made his Formula One debut in 2007 and scored four wins during his first season. He won his very first Grand Prix in Canada, and victories in the United States, Hungary, and Japan quickly followed.
Hamilton broke many Formula One records in the years to come, and currently has most wins at different Grands Prix with 23, and most wins at different circuits with 26. He also had more wins per season than any other driver between 2014 and 2019.
The British racer currently has 84 Grand Prix victories under his belt, making him second behind Michael Schumacher with a total of 91 wins. He found the biggest success at the Canadian Grand Prix and the Hungarian Grand Prix, winning both races seven times.
Missing Grand Prix Titles
Lewis Hamilton never won the Indian Grand Prix, the Korean Grand Prix, and the European Grand Prix. It’s possible he’ll never get a chance to do this since they aren’t a part of the Formula One schedule anymore.
The Indian Grand Prix was held at the Buddh International Circuit between 2011 and 2013, and Sebastian Vettel came out victorious each time. It was removed from the Formula One calendar in 2014, due to tax disputes between the Uttar Pradesh government and the FIA, and it’s been absent ever since.
The Korean Grand Prix was also short-lived and only took place from 2010 until 2013. Lewis Hamilton came in second at the inaugural 2010 race, after Fernando Alonso managed to beat him. He lost out to Sebastian Vettel in 2011, and it was his last podium finish at the Korean Grand Prix.
Hamilton also never managed to win the European Grand Prix – at least not while it was held under this name. He made his debut at this event in 2007, and finished in the disappointing tenth place, but did much better at future races.
The British driver finished second at the European Grand Prix for the next three years and failed to take the podium in 2011 and 2012. This event has been discounted afterward but returned in 2016 when Hamilton finished fifth.
The one-off race in 2016 was held at the Baku City Circuit, which started hosting the Azerbaijan Grand Prix a year later. Hamilton won this race in 2018, but it was no longer called the European Grand Prix.
Hamilton’s Favorite Circuits
Lewis Hamilton won the Canadian Grand Prix on seven separate occasions, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal is one of his favorites. He discussed his love for this circuit during the FIA Drivers’ press conference in Montreal back in 2019, revealing that Silverstone and Austin are also amongst his top three tracks.
Silverstone Circuit serves as the home of the British Grand Prix, where Hamilton won the race six times. Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas started hosting the United States Grand Prix in 2012, and Hamilton won the race five times since.Surprisingly enough, he’s not a huge fan of Circuit de Monaco and finds it too predictable. Hamilton explained this by saying, “I live there and love it but you all know how the race goes. I personally don’t enjoy driving the race because you can make your car as wide as you want and you can’t actually entertain.”