Was the 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton's best ever F1 win?

Lewis Hamilton's immense recovery from P20 to P5 in Saturday’s sprint race, following his disqualification from qualifying, was impressive enough, but the Brit backed that up with a surge from 10th to first in Sunday’s race. To wade through the slower cars isn’t easy, but in a Mercedes it actually is - so Hamilton’s sprint race drive was somewhat to be expected. But, the fact he managed to climb all the way up to fifth was perhaps unexpected, and Hamilton went even better in the Grand Prix itself.

The race-winning move on Max Verstappen was excellently executed, as was each of the eight overtakes that preceded it. Hamilton effectively had a 25 place grid penalty this weekend, yet he recovered to win the race. That is simply extraordinary, and the response on social media has mirrored the achievement of Hamilton.

But, with all the acclaim that his performance has merited, where does this monumental win, that closes the gap to Verstappen in the Drivers Championship, rank among Hamilton’s best.

To decide, we’ve found four other exceptional Hamilton wins, and we’re going to rank them at the end, so stay tuned for that.

First of all, which other four race wins have stood out from Hamilton’s career?

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SILVERSTONE 2008

Hamilton has become somewhat of an expert in the wet throughout his time in Formula One, and in just his second season in the sport, he displayed those talents to the most extreme extent.

At an extremely wet Silverstone, Hamilton started fourth, but immediately jumped both Mark Webber and Kimi Raikkonen off the line, before taking the lead from Heikki Kovalainen on lap five up the inside at Stowe. From there on in, Hamilton simply dominated.

While others spun and found themselves in the gravel, Hamilton was cool and composed under immense pressure and in almost impossible circumstances, he took the chequered flag 68 seconds before Nick Heidfeld in P2. 

Only 13 drivers managed to finish the rain-soaked race, and only two weren’t lapped by Hamilton - that was how dominant he was that day.

BAHRAIN 2014

Unlike Silverstone in the fact that Hamilton won by a mere 1 second from teammate Nico Rosberg, it was another example of a battling victory from the Brit.

Chased down by Rosberg, he entered defence mode and managed to prevent Rosberg from passing for the entirety of the final 15 laps. The German tried everything in his powers to get past Hamilton, whether that be around the outside, on the inside, a switchback - whatever he attempted Hamilton had an answer to, and it was a drive for the ages. 

GERMANY 2018

This is perhaps his most famous win. Hamilton suffered a hydraulics issue in qualifying which meant he started the race down in P14. However, in the rain, he set about chasing down the leaders and while others made mistakes - most notably Sebastian Vettel’s trip to the barriers on lap 52 - he simply didn’t.

Climbing through the midfield order with consummate ease, Hamilton eventually won the race by 4 seconds from Valtteri Bottas, and it was the recovery drive of a lifetime.

Vettel’s aforementioned crash brought out the safety car, and while others pitted for fresh rubber, Hamilton stayed out, and managed to somehow defend for his life, until the “Valtteri, it’s James” radio message was heard, and cling on to secure one of F1’s greatest ever wins.

By virtue of winning, Hamilton also took the lead of the Championship, and went on to win the 2018 title by a comfortable margin.

TURKEY 2020

Yet another masterclass in the wet - Hamilton simply excels when others struggle. This time it was a race that Hamilton simply shouldn’t have won. The fact he won was a surprise to almost everybody on the grid. On a newly-surfaced track, Turkey was already lacking grip, so add in the element of rain, and it was treacherous conditions.

Mercedes couldn’t find a set-up to deal with the poor track surface, and Hamilton qualified down in P6, with Valtteri Bottas in P9. But, while Bottas had countless spins in the race, and eventually finished 14th, Hamilton managed to come through and win the race. Even after the first set of pit-stops, Hamilton was still in sixth, and not making progress. But, Mercedes and Hamilton crucially decided to go with a one-stop race, while everyone else opted for a two-stop. 

Hamilton somehow managed to find some grip in his worn-out tyres, and made up the time lost by others in the pits. He then sailed past Sergio Perez in the Racing Point, before going on to win by a margin of over 30 seconds to the Mexican in P2. Not only was it a sensational drive, but it was a historic win that sealed Hamilton’s seventh world title - equalling Michael Schumacher’s record.

THE TOP FIVE ORDER

So, with those four memorable drives added to Hamilton’s win at Brazil, which is his best F1 victory?

Here is my order. In fifth place, it’s Bahrain 2014. In fourth, Silverstone 2008. And then onto the top three. In third, Turkey 2020, second it’s Brazil 2021, and first it’s, of course, Germany 2018. All five are excellent wins, and show just how good this special talent is at driving a car fast. If anyone needed a reminder of his ability, Hamilton’s drive at Brazil certainly did that, and it sets up the final three races of this enthralling 2021 season.