20 Seasons At The Front: Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton Extends Unmatched Historic F1 Record

Last Updated:March 08, 2026, 16:02 IST

Lewis Hamilton led briefly at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, marking his 20th consecutive F1 season leading a race.

It’s a new year, a whole new era of Formula 1 — and yet, the same old classic Hamilton.

Lewis Hamilton added yet another milestone to his remarkable F1 career during the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, extending one of the sport’s most impressive records.

By taking the lead for a handful of laps during the race at Albert Park today, the Ferrari ace has now led at least one race in 20 consecutive  F1 seasons.

The streak stretches all the way back to his rookie campaign in 2007 and stands as the longest in the sport’s history. Talk about dominance.

Michael Schumacher previously led races in 15 consecutive seasons between 1992 and 2006, while Sebastian Vettel recorded 13 straight seasons from 2007 to 2019.

Lewis Hamilton Continues to Add to Historic Career

Hamilton’s latest record is just another entry in a career filled with statistical landmarks.

Last season, the British driver also became the first in Formula 1 history to surpass 5,000 career championship points.

Hamilton has remained a regular contender at the front of the grid despite team changes and evolving regulations.

And with the show that Ferrari put up today, one can expect Hamilton to keep attacking with a rejuvenated hunger this season — a hunger that will hopefully help him break his unwanted streak of zero podiums so far with the Scuderia, the longest drought of his career.

Hamilton Reflects After Chaotic Australian GP

Reflecting on the dramatic season opener, Hamilton remained positive despite Ferrari ultimately missing out on victory.

“I’m really proud of the team. Obviously, we’re not as fast as Mercedes. We’ve got work to do, but we’re right in the fight," he said.

“It was a really fun race, and it felt good for me. A couple more laps and I would have had [Charles Leclerc], so I had great pace. Lots of positives to take from today."

Hamilton also felt Ferrari’s qualifying struggles masked their true speed.

“All weekend I’ve been really strong. Qualifying didn’t show the true pace. We had a few problems through qualifying, which meant I was further back than I should have been."

When asked about Ferrari’s decision not to pit during the initial Virtual Safety Car, a strategy call that may have cost the team a shot at a possible win, Hamilton took a pragmatic view.

“I don’t have mixed emotions about it, we got third and fourth. Ultimately, Mercedes were quicker than us and that’s probably the maximum result we were going to get today."

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