Lewis Hamilton stands in a league of his own when it comes to the Formula 1 record for the longest gap between a driver’s first victory and their most recent win.The seven-time world champion exploded onto the scene in 2007 and took his first win in just his sixth race at the Canadian Grand Prix. He would go on to win three more races that season and narrowly missed out on the championship by one point to Kimi Raikkonen.Raikkonen himself was previously the benchmark for this rare measure of endurance, with a 15-year span between his first win at the 2003 Malaysian Grand Prix and his final victory at the 2018 United States Grand Prix. Hamilton went on to beat that record and with his most recent victory at the Barcelona Grand Prix has shattered that mark.
Starting from second on the grid for Ferrari, the 41-year-old produced a strategic masterclass, capitalising on a Virtual Safety Car with a bold three-stop plan to seize the lead and storm to victory by 19.6 seconds. It marked his first win in Ferrari red, his 106th career triumph, and delivered the first all-British podium since 1968, with Mercedes’ George Russell second and McLaren’s Lando Norris third.
Hamilton has become the oldest race winner since Jack Brabham in 1970 and his record of the longest gap between race victories looks like it will be unmatched for some time to come.
Top 10 drivers with longest gap between first and last race wins1. Lewis Hamilton19 years, 0 months and 4 daysCanada 2007 – Barcelona 20262. Kimi Raikkonen15 years, 6 months and 28 daysMalaysia 2003 – USA 20183. Michael Schumacher14 years, 1 month and 1 dayBelgium 1992 – China 20064. Alain Prost12 years, 0 months and 20 daysFrance 1981 – Germany 19935. Niki Lauda11 years, 3 months and 28 daysSpain 1974 – Netherlands 19856. Nelson Piquet11 years, 2 months and 3 daysUSA West 1980 – Canada 19917. Sebastian Vettel11 years, 0 months and 8 daysItaly 2008 – Singapore 20198. Jack Brabham10 years, 9 months and 25 daysMonaco 1959 – South Africa 19709. Gerhard Berger10 years, 9 months and 15 daysMexico 1986 – Germany 199710. Riccardo Patrese10 years, 5 months and 2 daysMonaco 1982 – Canada 1982