Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton raced to the highest level of motorsport in 2007, surprising the F1 world with his performance and skill in his debut season.

With nine consecutive podium finishes and an elevation to the top spot on the championship standings, things seemed to happen too soon for the young rookie. But his momentum dropped and he ended up second on the standings, losing the title race by a single point. The following year, with expectations soaring, Hamilton came back and won the title to become the youngest champion that the sport has seen.

His third season was by far his worst. McLaren failed to produce a grand prix-winning car and the world champion was reduced to a midfield-runner. But the team bounced back and Hamilton whipped the best out of the dodgy MP4-24, winning twice and bagging five podiums, en route to the fifth spot on the standings.

Hamilton’s career statistics already stand out in history books. Very few drivers have achieved this much success in as little time. But the skill that he possesses causes expectations to rise by design and the 2008 champion will have to live with that pressure in the coming years. Whether he copes with it or crumbles will be interesting to watch.