13/10/2025 07:25
Lewis Hamilton is on the cusp of setting an unfortunate Ferrari
record, with the British driver in need of a podium at the upcoming
United States Grand Prix. If the seven-time F1 drivers' champion
cannot reach the rostrum at the Circuit of the Americas, he will
surpass Didier Pironi's record for the most grands prix upon
joining the Italian team without a top-three finish. Having failed
to do so at the Singapore Grand Prix, where he finished eighth
after a five-second time penalty, Hamilton matched Pironi's mark,
opening his Ferrari tenure with 18 podium-less rounds. The
Frenchman finally broke his duck at the 1982 San Marino Grand Prix,
his 19th start for the Maranello-based squad. This means that
Hamilton must reach the podium in Austin to avoid taking outright
ownership of a record that has stood uninterrupted for 43 years. He
can now, at best, match it. Otherwise, he cannot break his own
streak until his 20th grand prix start for the team, at the Mexico
City Grand Prix. Pironi's record has stood untouched for over four
decades, a testament to how rare it is for a driver of Hamilton's
status to endure such a barren run at Ferrari. When the 105-time
grand prix winner signed with the Scuderia, few could have imagined
this would be his statistical trajectory. Hamilton has twice
finished in the top three for the Prancing Horse over the opening
18 rounds of the campaign, but both his victory in Shanghai and his
third place in Miami were in the sprint element of those respective
weekends. The 40-year-old's move to Ferrari from Mercedes garnered
considerable fanfare. It was billed as F1's most decorated driver
joining forces with its most iconic team. However, the combination
has thus far fallen short of expectations, and now Hamilton stands
at the precipice of an uneviable record. Do you think Hamilton will
avoid setting an unfortunate Ferrari record at the United States
Grand Prix? Let us know in the comments and by voting below in the
latest RacingNews365 poll!
