The Mark of Lewis Hamilton
New Legend Born in the Legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway?
All eyes were in the two-times defending champ Fernando Alonso and the new look Scuderia Ferrari. But it was the Mclaren rookie that stole the show in Senna-esque fashion
The oldest surviving race track in the world is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Very few tracks rival the mystique and legend brought about by the massively vast history this place uniquely possesses. Hence, it is just a fitting venue for a driver to make a name for himself. And after the United States Grand Prix held in this very speedway, Lewis Hamilton did make a name for himself by legitimately making his mark as a true force in Formula 1.
Nobody saw it coming. Many analysts said that Hamilton was good and could very well be the star of the future. But in truth, all eyes were on the two-times reigning world champion Fernando Alonso and his rivals in the new look Scuderia Ferrari with the driver line-up of Brazilian Felipe Mass and the ‘ice man’ Kimi Raikkonen. They were the ones supposed to be slugging it out for the driver’s title in the fight for supremacy. Instead, it was the rookie that emerged ahead of the standings after seven rounds. It seems that Hamilton may very well be the star of today.
Podium places in his first seven races of his first ever season, Hamilton was no doubt the most consistent driver. And having won the last two races, Canada and the United States respectively, he has also proven that he could win races.
Granted, there may still be some who downplay the Englishman’s raw talent by pointing out unusual good luck: like landing in a superior car in his first year, reliability woes that unexpectedly plagued Ferrari in the beginning of the season as well as the numerous safety car intermissions that played a key role in Hamilton’s first ever win. However, having held-off his more decorated teammate under extreme pressure in Indianapolis, one cannot contest that this rookie has iron guts, unwavering commitment and tremendous focus to think and act accordingly under difficult circumstances. Also, no one should overlook the fact that Hamilton converted his first two pole positions into victories in tracks he has never raced in.
It is not just his stunning start to his career that has helped Lewis Hamilton’s meteoric rise. Something about him triggers familiarity in every racing fan’s collective memory. His helmet for instance, colored yellow with two parallel stripes colored green for the top stripe and blue for the bottom stripe, resembles the very famous helmet design scheme of the late legendary Ayrton Senna. The similarities just don’t end there. Back in 1988, Senna, who didn’t have a title yet, was paired with then two-times world champion Alain Prost. This season, Hamilton was paired with two-times champion Alonso. The question now stands: can Lewis Hamilton fully repeat history by beating his more experienced teammate the way Senna did in ’88? Perhaps, it is too soon to predict anything. But such a story book ending is by no means impossible. If Hamilton indeed pulls it off, he would be the youngest ever Formula 1 Champion bettering the previous record of Alonso in just after two years. In addition, he would also be the first driver since Giuseppe ‘Nino’ Farina back in 1950 (in Formula1’s first ever championship season) to win the title in his debut season.
Only time will tell whether or not one of the greatest feats in the history of Motor Racing will indeed be realized. But if one thing is certain, for now Lewis Hamilton has indeed vaulted himself among the elite ranks of the current crop of Formula 1 drivers.
