From McLaren to Mercedes: Every Lewis Hamilton F1 car

In 2023, Mercedes’ latest F1 offering, the W14, still seems inferior to the likes of Red Bull and Aston Martin. But with Hamilton more motivated than ever to return to the front, an eighth world title is never quite out of reach.

 

Every Lewis Hamilton F1 car 

 

McLaren MP4-22

Year 2007
Races won 4 (Lewis Hamilton), 4 (Fernando Alonso)
Constructors’ championship points 0 (Excluded)

Few have entered F1 with such fanfare. Hamilton’s debut season in 2007 certainly lived up the hype, claiming four grand prix victories and arguably out-performing two time world champion Fernando Alonso as his teammate. Although the MP4-22 should have been remembered as the vessel which delivered Hamilton to the F1 world, it instead has an infamous reputation as the focus of ‘Spygate’ – an espionage controversy that involved 800-pages of confidential technical information which was stolen from Ferrari and given to McLaren.

The fallout meant McLaren was ultimately excluded from F1 constructors’ championship, damaging the reputation of Hamilton’s successful rookie season,  but all doubts were soon wiped away the following season.

 

McLaren MP4-23

Year 2008
Races won 5 (Lewis Hamilton), 1 (Heikki Kovalainen)
Constructors’ championship points 151 (2nd overall)

By any measure, Lewis Hamilton’s debut F1 season in 2007 was a success but he was left wondering what might have been after missing out on the championship by a single point and falling out with team-mate Fernando Alonso. He was victorious the following year though: Hamilton won his first title with the team in only his second season, thanks to a dramatic final corner pass at Interlagos. The MP4-23 was also driven by Finn Heikki Kovalainen who took his maiden and only victory in Formula 1 at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

 

McLaren MP4-24

Year 2009
Races won 2 (Lewis Hamilton)
Constructors championship points 71 (3rd overall)

Although overshadowed by the domination of Brawn, Hamilton continued his impressive streak of performance throughout his third year in F1 – despite not having the car to do it. The lack of aerodynamic downforce from the MP4-24 forced Hamilton and teammate Kovalainen to the rear of the field during the season’s early stages, battling for scraps until upgrades brought them closer to the front in Germany.

Two late season victories for Hamilton in Hungary and Singapore elevated the team to 3rd in the constructors’ standings and also became the first team to find success with the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS), which would later become a staple of future F1 designs.

 

McLaren MP4-25 

Year 2010
Races won 3 (Lewis Hamilton), 2 (Jenson Button)
Constructors championship points 454 (2nd overall)

Now partnered with reigning world champion and ex-Brawn driver Jenson Button, Hamilton and McLaren were the favourites to contend for another world title in 2010. Building upon its troublesome predecessor, the MP4-25 was an undeniable improvement, driven to victory twice in the first four races but was ultimately beaten into submission by Red Bull and a defiant Fernando Alonso.

The McLaren’s ‘F-Duct’ rear wing caused early controversy, reducing aerodynamic drag and allowing Hamilton and Button to gain a 6 mph advantage down the straights. The design was contested by Red Bull, but was cleared by the FIA ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Having comfortably outperformed his teammate for the past two seasons, Hamilton initially struggled to keep pace with Button but ultimately finished on top, capturing back to back victories in Turkey and Canada before collecting a third in Belgium. Fourth in the drivers’ standings was the best the Briton could do in 2010, whilst McLaren elevated to 2nd in the constructors’ standings.

 

McLaren MP4-26

Year 2011
Races won 3 (Lewis Hamilton), 3 (Jenson Button)
Constructors championship points 497 (2nd overall)

Running a distant second to Red Bull, there were few opportunities for the rest of grid to capture the top step of the podium in 2011. But when the defending champions had a problem, McLaren’s MP4-26 was often there to pick up the pieces.

Hamilton and Button continued to prove themselves as a valuable combination, both helping to secure second in the constructors’ standings, but it was the latter that finished on top in the drivers’ standings – the first time Hamilton failed to beat his teammate over the course of a season.

The British duo captured six victories between them, as well as 18 podium finishes and a pole position but failed to develop a car quick enough to challenge Sebastian Vettel‘s RB7.

 

McLaren MP4-27

Year 2012
Races won 4 (Lewis Hamilton), 3 (Jenson Button)
Constructors championship points 378 (3rd overall)

Hamilton’s final season in a McLaren was not the fairytale ending many were hoping for – mainly due to extended Red Bull dominance – but victories in Canada, Hungary, Italy and the United States were enough to cement his name within the teams iconic history.

The MP4-27 was one of three cars to adopt a different nose design in an attempt to gain better aerodynamic performance, but the results were negligible. The team endured through a season of highs and lows, ultimately falling to third in the constructors’ championship, but a final victory at the season finale in Brazil ended the year on a high.

 

Mercedes F1 W04

Year 2013
Races won 1 (Lewis Hamilton), 2 (Nico Rosberg)
Constructors championship points 360 (2nd overall)

Hamilton’s first season under a new F1 roof showed elements of the teams’ future dominance, but 2013 was mostly labeled as a disappointment by arguably the series’ most exciting driver pairing. The Briton joined former karting rival Nico Rosberg, who had joined the team in it’s return to F1 in 2010, and would later go on to form an almost unbeatable duo – just not in 2013.

The W04 was driven to two podium finishes and three consecutive pole positions in the first five races – a significant improvement over 2012’s offering – but quickly developed a reputation for it’s increased tyre degradation, which would limit its race day ability. Nevertheless, a race victory in Hungary was enough to convince Hamilton that the team was on the right track, and later finished fourth in the drivers’ standings – 18 points clear of his team-mate but 208 behind eventual title winner, Vettel.

 

Mercedes F1 W05 Hybrid

Year 2014
Races won 11 (Lewis Hamilton), 5 (Nico Rosberg)
Constructors’ championship points 701 (Champions)

Hamilton outperformed his teammate once again in 2014, but this time he rewarded with his second world title. The W05’s unmatched performance kickstarted the era of Mercedes dominance in the hybrid era. In Rosberg’s hands, it won the season opener by a whopping 27 seconds. After Hamilton’s win at the Malaysian GP that year, he described it as the best car he had ever driven — up to that point.

 

Mercedes F1 W06 Hybrid

Year 2015
Races won 10 (Lewis Hamilton), 6 (Nico Rosberg)
Constructors’ championship points 703 (Champions)

There were 19 grands prix in the 2015 season and 12 of those resulted in a Mercedes 1-2. The W06 won 16 races that year and it holds the record for the highest percentage of points in a season (86.04%), the most podiums (84.21%), and most front-row lockouts at 15. With 381 points to Rosberg’s 322, Hamilton was a convincing champion for the third time, matching Ayrton Senna‘s tally.

 

Mercedes W07 Hybrid

Year 2016
Races won 10 (Lewis Hamilton), 9 (Nico Rosberg)
Constructors championship points 765 (1st overall)

Winning all but two races in the explosive 2016 campaign, the W07 Hybrid is one of the most dominant F1 car’s of all time – second only to the McLaren MP4/4. Wanting to join an exclusive club of drivers who had won three successive drivers’ world titles, Hamilton technically did everything he could in an attempt to make history – capturing 10 race victories and 12 pole positions – but ultimately came up just short.

Five points were all that separated the Briton and his teammate turned rival at the end of the season – Rosberg capturing his elusive drivers’  world title before retiring.

 

Mercedes AMG F1 W08 EQ Power+

Year 2017
Races won 9 (Lewis Hamilton), 3 (Valtteri Bottas)
Constructors’ championship points 668 (Champions)

A new car and a new team-mate. After Nico Rosberg won the fraught championship battle of 2016 and promptly retired, Hamilton found less opposition from Valtteri Bottas. He still had to see off Sebastian Vettel, who won five races that year for Ferrari. Nonetheless, with three races to spare, Mercedes claimed the constructors’ title at the United States Grand Prix. A win at the next round in Mexico, meant the fourth title was Hamilton’s with two races to spare.

 

Mercedes AMG F1 W09 EQ Power+

Year 2018
Races won 11 (Lewis Hamilton)
Constructors’ championship points 655 (Champions)

Hamilton was the only Mercedes driver who took the top step of the podium with the W09, winning 11 races as he beat Vettel to the championship once more with two races to go. The turning point was probably in Germany, where Hamilton started 14th and Vettel looked set to cruise to victory in front of a home crowd. But on a damp track, the Ferrari driver buried his car in the wall and the resulting safety car put Hamilton in the lead, having climbed to third.

 

Mercedes AMG F1 W10 EQ Power+

Year 2019
Races won 11 (Lewis Hamilton), 4 (Valtteri Bottas)
Constructors’ championship points 739 (Champions)

Ten pole positions, nine fastest laps, seven front-row lockouts, and nine 1-2 finishes later, the W10 claimed the most points in Mercedes’ fight for the constructors’ title. The 739 points haul was unprecedented and the sixth title came easily. A sixth constructors’ championship in a row for Mercedes equalled the record set by Scuderia Ferrari between 1999 and 2004.

 

Mercedes AMG F1 W11 EQ Performance

Year 2020
Races won 11 (Lewis Hamilton), 2 (Valtteri Bottas)
Constructors’ championship points 655 (Champions)

Mercedes’ 2020 championship contender claimed 15 pole positions and nine fastest laps, one of which was when George Russell drove the car at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix. It also delivered 12 front-row lockouts, and five 1-2 finishes across 17 races. It even won at Silverstone with three wheels after a late puncture for Hamilton, who went on to win his seventh championship. Hamilton and the W11 also hold the record for the fastest pole position lap, clinching it at an average speed of 164.3mph and time of 1min 18.887sec at the Italian Grand Prix.

 

Mercedes AMG F1 W12 E Performance

Year 2021
Races won 2 (Lewis Hamilton)
Constructors championship points 71 (3rd overall)

The Briton’s heated title battle with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will forever live in infamy alongside the W12 – arguably the car that should have delivered his eighth world title.

Safety car controversy interrupted a dominant performance from Hamilton at the season finale in Abu Dhabi and a heart wrenching last lap pass by Verstappen ultimately forced Hamilton to second in the drivers’ standings. Nevertheless, Mercedes still captured 9 wins and 28 podium finishes across the course of the season, along with nine pole positions.

 

Mercedes AMG F1 W13 E Performance

Year 2022
Races won 1 (George Russell)
Constructors championship points 515 (3rd overall)

New regulations, new team-mate, new problems. The return of ground effect cars and applied technical changes were made in 2022 in an attempt to force the F1 pack closer together – but it hurt some more than others. Mercedes W13 was one of the cars who were most notably affected by the changes, facing complications with popoising that played havoc with performance and the safety of it’s drivers.

Now partnered with George Russell, Hamilton struggled to adapt, reaching the podium three times in the first ten races. But, as all champions do, he bounced back, contending at the very front of the grid as the season drew to a close. A sprint race and grand prix victory for Russell, alongside 17 team podium finishes were rare highlights in a season of Red Bull dominance.

 

Mercedes AMG F1 W14 E Performance

Year 2023
Races won 0
Constructors championship points 56 (3rd overall)

In similar fashion to it’s predecessor, the W14’s performance has left ample room for improvement in the early stages of the 2023 season – trailing Red Bull and Aston Martin in the race to the front. A disappointing pre-season test left Hamilton in a difficult position – not wanting to repeat the failings of the W13 – but better race pace during the first three grand prix of the season has put the Silver Arrow’s on track for success.

A second place finish in Australia has been the highlight of Hamilton’s 16th year in F1 so far, with far more racing yet to come.