Is Lewis Hamilton’s Recovery Drive at Sao Paulo 2021 the Greatest Ever Performance by an F1 Driver?

Lewis Hamilton is one of the greatest drivers in Formula 1 history. With seven World Championships to his name, the Briton currently matches Michael Schumacher’s record and is gunning for his 8th title.

Many believe the 2021 season was the most difficult challenge he has faced in his long illustrious career. And although Max Verstappen came out on top, Hamilton’s season was nothing short of incredible.

Formula 1 fans will forever remember the Brazilian Grand Prix in 2021 for Lewis Hamilton’s stunning comeback. The race in Sao Paulo was the 19th round and with only 4 races remaining, Hamilton was already 19 points behind Verstappen. His hopes to win an unprecedented 8th World Championship started slipping away from him.

However, the Mercedes driver showed why he is regarded as one of the best to grace the sport. He did the unimaginable in Brazil by winning the race after starting from P10. As a gesture to the fans, Hamilton waved the Brazilian flag on the podium after his victory. As recent reports suggest, Hamilton is on the verge of securing Brazilian citizenship. So, it is only fair to look back on the British driver’s majestic race in the 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix.

A disappointing Qualifying for Hamilton in Brazil

The Brazilian Grand Prix in 2021 was a crucial race as Hamilton was 19 points behind Verstappen. And the Brit showed his class as he took the pole in qualifying. However, there was a twist in the tale when Hamilton was disqualified from qualifying after setting an impressive time in Q3. Hence, he started 20th in the sprint race.

Hamilton and Mercedes decided to use their 5th internal combustion engine for the season. As a result, he was awarded a 5 place grid penalty ahead of the race on Sunday. Starting from the back of the grid in the sprint race, Hamilton had a humongous task to match Verstappen. He breezed in the early laps of the sprint race, but racing his old foe Fernando Alonso and Daniel Ricciardo proved to be a huge test.

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Hamilton, though, did not give up and overtook the drivers one by one. On the last lap, his race craft came into play as he overcame Lando Norris to secure P5. A 5 place grid penalty saw him start from P10 for the race. Meanwhile, Verstappen finished second and added two more points to his tally.

Hamilton’s magnificent comeback in Interlagos

On the front end, Max Verstappen started second as Valtteri Bottas’ snatched P1 from the Dutchman. Many believed a podium finish is the maximum result Hamilton can achieve. However, the Brit had other ideas as he reminded the world why he is a seven-time World Champion.

Hamilton started behind Sebastian Vettel and faced an uphill task of beating Verstappen. The Dutchman took the lead in lap 1, and it looked like another comfortable evening for Red Bull. However, Hamilton advanced to P7 after Lando Norris’ puncture in the first lap, and on lap 3, the Mercedes driver overtook Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari and moved to P5.

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Meanwhile, Bottas slipped to P4, and he followed the team’s orders to let Hamilton by. During lap 18, Hamilton’s move on Sergio Perez on the outside caught the Mexican by surprise. Despite Perez’s best efforts to retake his position, the seven-time World Champion went ahead.

The stage was set for the battle between the championship contenders. The race between the two became intense in lap 48 as Hamilton closed down Verstappen, but the corner forced both of them wide. Stewards let the race carry on amid Mercedes’ appeal for a time penalty. With 12 laps to go, Hamilton finally made the move on Verstappen as the crowd went wild.

A stunning win against the odds secured Hamilton’s 101st win in Formula 1. The race will go down in the history books as the Brazilian fans marveled over the Brit’s ability to never give up. Hamilton narrowed Verstappen’s lead by 14 points at the end of the race.

Was Hamilton’s race in Interlagos the best driver ever in F1? Leave your thoughts in the comments.