Does Lewis Hamilton deserve to keep his 2008 World Championship? Should he have nabbed a title in 2007? And did he deserve a championship in 2021? 

Fans and pundits can debate these questions without end — and in fact, 1996 World Champion Damon Hill has weighed in on this very topic in a recent edition of the High Performance Podcast.

Hill weighs in on Lewis Hamilton 2008 title

There’s no question that Lewis Hamilton has made his mark as one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time. Matching Michael Schumacher’s impressive seven championships, the Briton may be struggling to find his footing with Ferrari, but he’s already made his mark on the sport.

1996 World Champion Damon Hill recently joined the High Performance Podcast, where he was asked about his opinion on Formula 1’s two seven-time World Champions: Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.

Interestingly, Hill declined to comment as he noted that it’s challenging to compare statistics of two drivers from such distinct eras.

But he did turn the conversation elsewhere. Hill wanted to discuss the eighth World Championship that Hamilton failed to score in 2021.

“That eighth title that did not happen, perhaps should have happened,” he noted.

“But on the other hand, perhaps he should have lost [in 2008] with Felipe Massa.

“But I think he should have won in his first year as well.”

More on Lewis Hamilton and his contentious championships:

👉 Explained: Why is Felipe Massa legally challenging Lewis Hamilton’s 2008 World title?

👉 Before 2021: What Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen said before F1 relationship turned sour

Hill is referring to a slew of controversial titles involving Hamilton.

First is 2007, which was Hamilton’s rookie year. Racing for McLaren, he was quick right out of the gate, scoring six pole positions, taking four wins, and finishing on the podium in his first nine races — only to lose out on the title to Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen by a single point.

Hamilton had led the championship until the final two races of the year, when he suffered a retirement and a seventh-place finish. Many feel that Hamilton should have easily swept that title, but his team let him down when it mattered most.

However, Hill isn’t so sure that Lewis Hamilton should have taken home the 2008 World Championship — and sure enough, runner-up Felipe Massa is challenging that result in court.

The issue centers around the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix; there, Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr. intentionally crashed into the wall to allow his teammate Fernando Alonso to gain the lead. Piquet didn’t reveal the intentional nature of the accident until 2009 — but former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone admitted that he and then-FIA president Max Mosley had been informed of the fixed nature of the race during the 2008 season.

Massa was on track to bring home a hefty points haul in Singapore — until Piquet’s accident. As a result, Massa lost out on the title to Hamilton by just a single point come the end of the year.

And that all brings us to the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen entered the race with equal points, but a controversial decision from race control to bypass regular restart procedures to send the field off for a one-lap dash to the finish resulted in Verstappen bringing home his first F1 title.

Reflecting on Abu Dhabi 2021 allowed Hill to share his perspective on both Hill and Verstappen.

“They are different types of racers,” he explained.

“I don’t think even Lewis really knows how big his natural talent is. He is naturally gifted and has an extraordinary talent for driving and a passion for racing. He still wants to race.

“I think it’s mainly personality differences between them. Lewis was able to compete from the start, just like Max.

“Max is a more aggressive driver than Lewis on track. Lewis has done something every now and then, but that’s much rarer.”

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