Hamilton stands out with his "utterly unblemished" F1 record
Lewis Hamilton has stood out among Formula 1 multiple world champions thanks to his “utterly unblemished” sportsmanship record, says Mercedes technical director James Allison.
Hamilton has won five of his six F1 world championships with Mercedes against fierce competition including former teammate Nico Rosberg and four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel.
Hamilton has rarely been accused of dangerous driving or acting in an unsporting fashion on-track, always engaging in hard but fair racing.
Before joining Mercedes in 2017, Allison previously worked with world champions Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen and Vettel during stints at Benetton, Renault, Lotus and Ferrari.
But the Mercedes technical chief said Hamilton’s integrity made him stand out among the drivers he had worked with through his F1 career.
“I’ve been lucky to work with people who have had the highest integrity. I do think that is a characteristic that marks out Lewis,” Allison said in a video on Mercedes’ YouTube channel.
“I think he’s one of the oldest drivers on the grid now, still drives like one of the youngest, but he in a career of multiple championships and countless wins, you’ll struggle to find a moment on the track where you see Lewis do something ugly.
“You’ll see him do many, many breathtaking things, you’ll see him do brave things. But you won’t see just crude, dodgem car, bumper car stuff, or any sort of artifice to the way he drives.
“I hope he manages to keep this going for the remainder of his driving career, because it’s an utterly unblemished record.
“I think amongst multiple world champions, it is also unprecedented to have all that success without anything that has even a hint of a shadow of poor sportsmanship hanging over it. I think it’s impressive.”
Hamilton, 35, may be nearing the final stages of his F1 career, but Allison said there were no signs of the six-time champion losing any of his edge.
“There comes a time where the driver’s racecraft is still incredibly strong, but that last little extra special something that still gives them the qualifying genius starts to slip through their fingers,” Allison said.
“One of the interesting things about Lewis is that’s still very much with him.
"He is blessed with extraordinary physical talents to go along with his mental dedication that is quite freakish.”
Formula 1 shutdown period extended again
Dealing with grief in F1's high-pressure environment
The inevitable consequence of the Liberty F1 popularity boom
Sell out crowds at Formula 1 races are the norm rather than the exception these days, as grand prix racing is enjoying a massive boom under Liberty Media. But the Spanish Grand Prix highlighted numerous issues some circuits may face as demand for F1 soars
The danger for Red Bull in its Barcelona F1 team orders choice
OPINION: Red Bull walked into a team orders saga on its way to taking a Spanish Grand Prix 1-2 last weekend, where it took the lead of the 2022 Formula 1 world championships for the first time. But its decisions have added an element of risk to later races.
Why Mercedes' Spanish GP gains aren't as grand as they seemed
Mercedes' strong showing in last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix prompted team boss Toto Wolff to say it had halved its deficit to the leaders and its Formula 1 title chances were back on after a rocky start to the 2022 campaign. But a closer inspection of the team's performance suggests its gains aren't as grand as they first appeared
What's next for the Green Red Bull controversy?
From the 'pink Mercedes' to the 'Green Red Bull', the Silverstone-based team has received suspicious glares from up and down the Formula 1 paddock over its car design exploits. But after being cleared by the FIA over its Spanish Grand Prix updates amid a backdrop of cries of foul play, what's next in this saga?
Spanish Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2022
In an unusually hectic Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc was denied a dominant performance by his Ferrari engine letting go which allowed Max Verstappen to pick up the pieces. But numerous flashpoints kept the race twisting and turning throughout, with one perfect score from an emerging contender
How Verstappen overcame his and Red Bull’s errors to win in Spain
Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari engine disaster offered an open goal for Max Verstappen and Red Bull to strike, but the reigning Formula 1 world champion still had to solve multiple errors and profit from a begrudged assist from team-mate Sergio Perez, which created an unexpectedly eventful Spanish Grand Prix
Why Red Bull can win a Spanish GP that looked perfect for Ferrari
Formula 1's return to Spain on Friday ended with Ferrari leading the way from Mercedes, while Red Bull could only manage third fastest overall courtesy of Max Verstappen. But its chances of victory are far from remote with a deeper dig into the times despite Ferrari's strong start...
The key aspects of Porsche and Audi's planned F1 entries
The VW Group’s German superpowers of sportscar racing have all but confirmed they are coming to F1 when the next set of engine rules come into force in 2026. Here's why both manufacturers are all set to take the plunge, and crucially how it might work