Ranked: Lewis Hamilton's top 3 longest podium droughts

Lewis Hamilton is arguably the most successful F1 driver of all time, with seven world titles, 105 race wins, 104 pole positions, and 202 podiums to his name. The British driver almost achieved everything at the highest level of Motorsports. Despite this, the Ferrari driver experienced some tough times during his illustrious career.

While many drivers struggled to find themselves on the podium, it was not the case for him, who only had a handful of races without it. In today's article, we'll delve deeper into his longest streak without podiums:

#3 10 Races: 2008 Brazilian GP to 2009 German GP

Lewis Hamilton's third-longest streak without a podium started at the 2008 Brazilian GP and lasted till the 2009 German GP. Hamilton, who won the 2008 F1 championship, was struggling the very next year due to a change in rules and regulations.

Felipe Massa (L) of Brazil and Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton (R) of Great Britain and McLaren Mercedes are seen in the paddock at the F1 Grand Prix of Germany - Source: Getty

In 2009, the FIA made some drastic changes to their technical regulations as they brought in KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), changed the aerodynamics of the chassis, and many more. As a result, Hamilton, with McLaren, struggled to find performance, as well as wins or podiums.

#2 10 Races: 2024 Las Vegas GP to 2025 Monaco GP (ongoing)

Lewis Hamilton is currently going through the second-longest podium drought of his career, as the former Mercedes man has been without a podium since the 2024 Las Vegas GP. From then, he switched teams and arrived at Ferrari but failed to grab a podium.

Race winner George Russell, right, speaks with his teammate and second-place finisher Lewis Hamilton at the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Even though he won the Chinese GP Sprint, it does not count in the full Grand Prix scenario. Hamilton is set to compete in the 2025 Spanish GP on June 1, and it will be interesting to see if he manages to break his drought.

#1 12 Races: 2023 Brazilian GP to 2024 Spanish GP

Lewis Hamilton experienced his longest podium drought from the 2023 Brazilian GP to the 2024 Spanish GP. This streak stayed until he finished third at Circuit de Barcelona, behind Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.

Lando Norris of McLaren, Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes at the podium after the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix - Source: Getty

This has come after Mercedes struggled with the new regulations that rolled out in 2022, especially the ground effect phenomenon, and experienced porpoising that not only affected car performance but also Drivers' health.

Hamilton started his race from P3 and came home in the same place as he held off his then-teammate, George Russell. Hamilton went on to win two races that season — the British GP, his home race, and the Belgium GP.

About the author

Sabyasachi Biswas is a passionate motorsport journalist for Sportskeeda, with a Master's degree in Mass Communication and Journalism. He has over eight years of experience in the field and has over 10000 published articles on the internet.

As a dedicated follower of motorsport, Sabyasachi watches events closely, ensuring his reports are thorough and supported by reputable sources. He is inspired by Max Verstappen’s fearless attitude and dreams of attending the Indian GP if it returns to the calendar. An ardent F1 fan over the years, he enjoyed watching Felipe Massa and Sebastian Vettel and is now following Verstappen's dominant journey on the track.

Apart from F1, he is a big-time NASCAR and football (also soccer) fan. Sabyasachi supports Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports and Spanish club, Real Madrid.

He was a sub-junior level footballer and won inter-district quizzes and debate competitions back in school. A travel freak by nature, Sabyasachi likes to try different cuisines and learn about new cultures. When away from his keyboard, he enjoys soccer, geopolitics, and playing with Khushi & Ubbu - his adorable beagles.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua