Which F1 cars led Lewis Hamilton to his record world championship success?

Lewis Hamilton set himself on a path to Formula 1 success early in life, introducing himself to McLaren team boss Ron Dennis at an awards ceremony in 1995 after winning the British Karting Championship at only ten years old. This secured Hamilton patronage from a top F1 team, and marked the start of his amazing career as one of the best racing drivers of all time.

In 2020, Hamilton made history by equalling Michael Schumacher’s F1 record for the most World Drivers’ Championships triumphs, winning for the seventh time.

Let’s take a closer look at the seven F1 cars that helped Hamilton make motorsport history:

1. McLaren MP4-23
The MP4-23 achieved Hamilton his first world championship victory in 2008, while driving for McLaren. He put himself on the racing map as a fierce competitor, becoming the then-youngest champion in the history of the sport, aged just 23. Hamilton continued to drive for McLaren until 2012, before signing to Mercedes.

2. Mercedes F1 W05 Hybrid
The W05 Hybrid was the first Mercedes F1 car of the hybrid era of the sport, kickstarting Mercedes dominance on the track that has continued for almost a decade. This model delivered Hamilton 11 Grand Prix wins that season.

3. Mercedes F1 W06 Hybrid
The successor of the highly successful F1 W05 Hybrid, the W06 brought a similar world championship outcome for Hamilton in 2015. In the same championship, Hamilton scored a hat-trick of pole position, fastest lap and race win, four times that season.

4. Mercedes-AMG F1 W08 EQ Power+
The F1 W08 EQ Power+ took nine wins, eleven pole positions and seven fastest laps for
Hamilton, leading to his fourth world championship win in 2017, clinched at the Mexican Grand Prix. The ‘EQ Power+’ affixed to the name was added to increase publicity of Mercedes’ hybrid electric car models.

5. Mercedes-AMG F1 W09 EQ Power+
Succeeding the W08, the W09 brought Hamilton his fifth World Drivers’ Championship win in 2018, clinched again at the Mexican Grand Prix.

6. Mercedes-AMG F1 W10 EQ Power+
The W10 took eleven wins, five pole positions and six fastest laps in the hands of Hamilton.
The car also brought seven front-row lockouts and nine 1-2 finishes for Hamilton and his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas, all leading to Hamilton’s sixth world championship win in 2019.

7. Mercedes-AMG F1 W11 EQ Performance
The W11 scored Hamilton his fourth World Drivers’ Championship win in a row, and seventh in total. The car also helped Hamilton set a new F1 record, scoring his 156th career podium finish, exceeding Schumacher for the most of all-time.

Get more behind the scenes insight into the world of British Motorsport and Lewis Hamilton’s unrivalled career at the Silverstone Interactive Museum.

Walk underneath Lewis’ 2016 Mercedes as you enter, pass through the ground floor to discover why Lewis is one of our 20 Silverstone legends, and see his race suit, helmet and boots with your own eyes!
At the Silverstone Interactive Museum, we preserve the heritage of British motorsport, use it to tell compelling stories and provide an authentic experience throughout our exhibitions.