45 Days Until the 2008 Australian GP
January 30th, 2008 | by Waldorf |A driver may be quick, may have great car control, may make witty remarks in press conferences, and may date a string of underwear models. But the real name of the game is winning races and championships. In the history of the Formula One World Championship so far, only 45 drivers have won five or more Grands Prix. While it is possible for a “number two” driver to hang about on a top team for many seasons and win a handful of races (or more for Coulthard and Rubens), the vast majority of these 45 drivers are the cream of the F1 crop.
What is surprising is just how difficult it is for even a very talented driver to pick up five career victories. The list of drivers who didn’t make it includes Dan Gurney, Bruce McLaren, Mike Hawthorn, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Carlos Pace, Jean Alesi, and Olivier Panis. Most F1 drivers find even a single race win eludes them through their careers. Button and Trulli each have one, but very good drivers such as Nick Heidfeld and Mark Webber do not, even after more than a hundred attempts. Lewis Hamilton is already only one win away from joining the group of 45 and talking his place among a very exclusive group, which is astonishing. Only time will tell if he is a Jim Clark or a Jacques Villeneuve.
Tags: lewis hamilton, race wins
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