F1 fans think Lewis Hamilton is one of the most ‘disrespected champions’ as remarkable qualifying stat emerges

Lewis Hamilton has more pole positions (104) than any other driver in F1 history. But he hasn’t added to that tally since the summer of 2023.

Hamilton set the pace in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix that year, but that remains his only pole since the start of 2022. To put it another way, he only has one in the last 72 races.

It’s worth noting that his teammates have only taken five poles in the same period. It’s an era that has belonged to Red Bull (and perhaps now McLaren), with Hamilton rarely in the fastest car on a given weekend.

What’s more, Hamilton did start from P1 in Sprint qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix. That won’t count towards his record, but it offers reason for optimism.

Indeed, one-lap pace has come to be regarded as something of a weakness for Hamilton at the age of 40. Since the start of 2024, he trails teammates 21-6 on a Saturday, with Charles Leclerc currently 2-1 ahead.

F1 fans still think Lewis Hamilton is underrated – Red Bull have only just matched his pole tally

Max Verstappen delivered one of the all-time great pole laps at the Japanese Grand Prix last weekend. It was Verstappen’s 41st career pole and Red Bull’s 104th overall.

That means that Christian Horner’s squad, one of the most successful teams in F1’s recent history, have only just matched Hamilton. After the stat was shared on Reddit, fans agreed that the Ferrari superstar was still underrated.

“Hamilton will definitely be one of those athletes who gets appreciated more by future generations than his contemporaries,” one wrote.

Another believes he will go down as one of the more ‘disrespected champions’ after he retires. A fellow user agreed, commenting that ‘they’ll give him his flowers when he’s gone’.

It’s said to be ‘crazy’ that critics are ‘reducing Hamilton’s records’. The supposed disrespect persists even though he’s partnered three world champions (Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button and Nico Rosberg) – ‘people will still move the goalposts’.

A final fan sarcastically wrote: “But he’s washed? That can’t be true?!”

Lewis Hamilton is already showing his class in Ferrari debriefs

In a recent interview, Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur hit out at the ‘rude’ narrative around Hamilton, with some suggesting he’s past his best. It’s worth noting that he fuelled these accusations himself when he said he wasn’t ‘fast anymore’ at the end of last year.

China Sprint aside, Hamilton has underwhelmed at Ferrari this year. But allowances must be made, one, because the sample size is small and two, because he’s still adapting to a new team.

A more definitive judgement can be made at the end of the year. The Englishman can crown his legacy at Maranello but it’s unlikely to suffer too much if he misses out on another title.

Hamilton has already impressed in Ferrari debriefs, according to team employee Marc Gene. He’s been offering ‘very important’ feedback that could lift the Scuderia out of the early mire.