Making this the first podium for the former world champion in 2020.

The Turkish Grand Prix seemed to be just another metaphor for the seven-time Formula One World Champion: “success during the worst turbulence”. The first time Hamilton drove a car of any shape or form, a Formula Renault, he crashed on only his third lap. The following year, he took the title.

In 2007, McLaren boss, Ron Dennis, appointed then-rookie Hamilton as the second driver alongside Fernando Alonso. But things between the two drivers quickly turned sour, leading to one of the best-documented teammate rivalries in F1 history. In 2008, he won his first of many F1 World Championships. He left McLaren for Mercedes in 2013, a team that, at the time, proved inefficient in

the ways of winning – the criticism from naysayers (and admittedly, myself as well) was deafening, yet, in 2014, he once again proved to be the best driver on the grid. While many credited Niki Lauda’s input for the Benz’ winning ways, it needed a driver with outright pace and discipline – and Hamilton was that driver.

LAST WORD

Lewis Hamilton’s father recently revealed that the world champion nearly gave up a promising career in karting to lead the life of a normal teenager. He didn’t, though, and despite many a setback throughout his racing career, he showed tenacity, discipline and, most importantly, a competitive spirit where nothing but first was good enough.

Love him, or loathe his oftentimes transparent diplomacy, no one can deny Lewis Hamilton the title of modern F1’s greatest driver – if not the greatest Grand Prix driver of all time. And if the reports of his current contract negotiations serve as any indicator, he won’t be stopping any time soon.