Lewis Hamilton is statistically Formula 1’s most successful driver after accomplishing several incredible feats in his career.
Debuting with McLaren at the age of 22 in 2007, Hamilton won his maiden title with the team a year later before spending another four years with the Woking-based outfit before making the then-controversial decision to join Mercedes in 2013.
Back then, the Silver Arrows were not a team that could fight for a world championship and not many would have expected what the Brit would go on to achieve with them. Hamilton won six titles with Mercedes between 2014 and 2020, whilst also setting the record for most wins, pole positions and podiums in F1 history.
The now 39-year-old added to his win and podium tallies in 2024 – his final season with Mercedes before his move to Ferrari – with victories in Silverstone and Spa and five podiums. Heading into 2025, Max Verstappen looks to be the only driver close enough to challenge those records after securing his fourth world title last season.
| Category | Max Verstappen | Record | Record holder |
| Championships | 4 | 7 | Lewis Hamilton & Michael Schumacher |
| Wins | 63 | 105 | Lewis Hamilton |
| Pole positions | 40 | 104 | Lewis Hamilton |
| Podiums | 112 | 202 | Lewis Hamilton |
The Dutchman has dominated F1 over the last few years, with Christian Danner saying the only thing stopping Verstappen from beating Hamilton’s records is if he suddenly stops enjoying being in F1.
But there is one Hamilton holds from his rookie season with McLaren that no other driver will be able to beat.
Lewis Hamilton holds the record for most podiums in his debut season
The Brit displayed his talent and potential immediately in F1 against defending two-time champion Fernando Alonso at McLaren in 2007. After all, he did finish on the podium on his debut in Australia with third.
Hamilton went on to finish second in the next four races before grabbing his maiden win in Canada. He made it back-to-back victories by beating Alonso at Indianapolis, before finishing third at Magny-Cours and Silverstone.
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The Brit’s 100% podium streak came to an end at the rain-soaked European Grand Prix where he finished outside the points for the first time in his career. Hamilton went on to claim two more wins and second at Monza as he narrowly missed out on the title in his rookie season by one point to Kimi Raikkonen.
His 12 podiums in 2007 marked a new record for F1 as he scored the most podiums of a rookie driver. Hamilton beat the record previously held by Jacques Villeneuve who scored 11 podiums in 1996, the year before the Canadian won his first and only title with Williams.
Hamilton’s feat with McLaren will likely never be beaten – mainly because it is rare in F1 nowadays for a rookie to debut in a competitive car. The latest to do so was Oscar Piastri – as it happens with McLaren – who managed two in his rookie season in 2023.
| # | Driver | Year | Podiums |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | 2007 | 12 |
| 2 | Jacques Villeneuve | 1996 | 11 |
| 3 | Luigi Fagioli | 1950 | 5 |
| 4 | Jackie Stewart | 1965 | 5 |
| 5 | Clay Regazzoni | 1970 | 4 |
| 6 | Juan Pablo Montoya | 2001 | 4 |
| 7 | Juan Manuel Fangio | 1950 | 3 |
| 8 | Giuseppe Farina | 1950 | 3 |
| 9 | Ayrton Senna | 1984 | 3 |
| 10 | Louis Rosier | 1950 | 2 |
Could Lewis Hamilton’s rookie record be broken in 2025?
The 2025 season will see six new full-time drivers on the grid – four of which are rookies. Liam Lawson and Oliver Bearman already made appearances in F1 before landing full-time seats with Red Bull and Haas respectively.
Rookies Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls), Jack Doohan (Alpine) and Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) will likely not have the machinery to compete for a single podium – let alone 12 – in 2025.
This means that the best chance of Hamilton’s record being broken is by his Mercedes replacement Andrea Kimi Antonelli – and that will be a monstrous feat to accomplish as an 18-year-old who already has enough pressure on him as it is.
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The Italian finished sixth in his debut season in Formula 2 and is being trusted straight into Mercedes alongside George Russell to replace the seven-time champion. Antonelli has racked up incredible mileage in testing with the team and will be prepared for 2025.
It could very well be the case that Antonelli could fight for regular podiums this season, but to beat Hamilton’s record of 12 would be a ridiculous feat – one that will likely never be accomplished again in F1.
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