The Story Behind Formula One’s Most Important Contemporary Winners

Photo of author

(Newswire.net — September 12, 2019) — To have the nerve to race at up to 200 mph or 321 kph -pulling at times  more G’s than a space shuttle launch- requires both physical and mental fortitude that can be found present only in an elite few. 

The modern heroes of Formula One are indeed athletes, but it takes so much more than that. They need drive, determination, a belief in themselves and the ability to win. They also need a great team that runs like clockwork and the best kit and tech available to give them the edge over their competitors. Here is the story behind three of the modern great runners, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso.

Lewis Hamilton – the best driver of his generation

Lewis Hamilton was born in the UK in 1985, and has won the Formula One World Championship no less than five-times. Not only is he considered the best driver of his generation, but he is also often quoted  as one of the greatest drivers of all time in the sport

At the time of winning his first ever Championship title with McLaren in 2008 he was the youngest driver ever to do so. He later went on to win four titles more with the new team Mercedes in 2014 and 2015, and again in 2017 and 2018. 

He also holds some impressive records, with the most wins at different circuits, the most points scored in his career and the most race victories.

His passion for racing started at age six, and as soon as he was able to, he signed to McLaren young driver program, progressing quickly through his racing career to begin his rookie season with Formula One in 2007, where he came second by only one point. 

His iconic style, both in and out of the track has also caught attention, with many fans looking to collect a Lewis Hamilton Helmet as the ultimate fan accessory. In fact, he famously ran a fan competition in 2017 for a helmet design, showing he loves to involve his fans in his wins as well. The helmets are iconic, being the one identifying factor during a race that separates him from his team mates. 

Lewis Hamilton has inspired a generation of young drivers to get out there and go for it, and his career is far from over. 

Sebastian Vettel – a worthy rival

One of the other great modern drivers, a serious rival to Lewis Hamilton, and also considered one of the all time greats of the sport is Sebastian Vettel, who races with Ferrari. Born in Germany in 1987 he also managed to achieve many of the ‘youngest’ records like Hamilton, starting his career with Red Bull racing and BMW back in 2007. 

To the date, he has won four Formula One world championships, all with Red Bull racing, which also gave him the record for most consecutive wins. In his first complete season in Formula One he also became the youngest ever winner of a race at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix.

Like Hamilton, Vettel started young with amateur karting at the age of just three years old, then was accepted into the Red Bull Junior Team when he was eleven. Before working his way through the German Formula BMW Championship and Formula 3 Euro series, he was finally called up as a  fixture to Formula One. 

Vettel has always held a passion for different helmet designs, a wide range can be seen at CM Helmets. While designs are noticeably dominated by sponsorship logos, since 2008  he has also included a red cross under his visor to honour his birthplace. He regularly uses unique and new designs to commemorate special occasions or to honour of team mates. 

Fernando Alonso – another great of our time

Another great driver to be given the description of one of the greatest is Fernando Alonso. Starting in karting at age 3 his aptitude for the sport was very quickly shown as he won championship after championship. He has since gone on to win the Formula One World Championship twice, while also winning the 2018-19 Fia World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hour Le Mans race in 2018 on his first attempt. 

His Formula One debut was with Renault, where he went on to be crowned champion in Formula One in both 2005 and 2006, at the time the youngest ever double champion. He raced with both McLaren and Ferrari before his retirement from Formula One, although he is still very much active in the world of racing. 

Another driver passionate about helmet design, all of his helmets feature two arrows on the top, a throwback to a christmas gift he received as a child, and with the colours often in dedication to Asturias, in Spain, in honour of his birthplace. 

These three men are giants in the world of racing and Formula One, so it is no surprise that they have a great number of supporters and will continue without a doubt to win titles and thrill their fans at every turn.