Did you know that Lewis Hamilton has claimed 15 victories and 26 podiums from 43 races with Mercedes? With the two-time world champion announcing a new deal with the Silver Arrows, we take a look at some of their defining landmarks so far in Formula One racing...
Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 W04 leads Fernando Alonso (ESP) Ferrari F138. Formula One World Championship, Rd1, Australian Grand Prix, Race, Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia, Sunday 17 March 2013.
Hamilton led for four laps of the 2013 Australian Grand Prix - his first race for the Silver Arrows
- Hamilton made his debut for Mercedes in Australia in 2013. His first Formula One Grand Prix for anyone other than McLaren, he qualified third - little more than 0.2s off the front row - and led four laps in total, but had to settle for fifth at the chequered flag.
- It was one of five races Hamilton led that season: he also hit the front in China, Canada, Great Britain and Hungary, the latter of which also delivered his breakthrough triumph for the team.
- In fact, Hamilton has led at least one lap in 25 of the 43 Grands Prix he has contested for Mercedes - a strike rate of 58 per cent. He has led 734 laps in total with the Silver Arrows (from a possible 2,426).
- Hamilton's win count is similarly impressive: he has claimed 15 victories from 43 races with Mercedes, at a rate of one win every 3.5 races.
- Similarly, the Briton has claimed 16 pole positions from 43 race starts. In addition, he has started from second on 13 occasions - meaning he has booked a place on the front row 29 times (or 67 per cent of the time) so far with Mercedes.
Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 celebrates on the podium at Formula One World Championship, Rd4, Bahrain Grand Prix Race, Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain, Sunday 19 April 2015.
Bahrain was the scene of Hamilton's 25th podium for Mercedes in April 2015
- Perhaps even more impressively, Hamilton has only qualified outside the top ten on three occasions with Mercedes - and two of those have extenuating circumstances. Brake issues and a gearbox penalty left him 20th in Germany last year, for example, while a fire put paid to his hopes in Hungary, also in 2014. The only other occurrence was at Monza in 2013, when Hamilton admitted he "didn't get a lap together" as he struggled to 12th on the grid.
- Similarly, there has just been one race since 2013 where Hamilton has seen the chequered flag but not scored points - Spain in 2013. He actually started the race second, but struggled badly with set-up and tyre management, and was also delayed at his first pit stop. He eventually finished one lap down in 12th.
- Hamilton has racked up 26 podiums in total with Mercedes - a total which surpasses every other driver over the same time period.
- This year Hamilton has taken things to even greater heights: from five races he has claimed five podiums, four poles and three victories, set three fastest laps, and has led for 173 of the 293 laps in total.
