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Hamilton Targets Win in 400th Grand Prix at Interlagos
123Helmets Editorial Team
Lewis Hamilton will start his 400th Formula 1 Grand Prix at Interlagos on Sunday, and the Ferrari driver says he wants to win it. Only Fernando Alonso has reached the mark before him, and Hamilton gets there at the circuit where he won his first world title in 2008.
Key Takeaways
Hamilton starts his 400th Grand Prix at Interlagos, the track where he won his first world title in 2008.
Only Fernando Alonso has reached 400 starts before him.
He arrives after taking his first pole since 2023 in Mexico City and finishing second.
Leclerc misses Thursday’s media day after becoming a father; Dino Beganovic drives in first practice.
Hamilton’s 400th start at Interlagos
Hamilton will make his 400th Grand Prix start at Interlagos on Sunday, joining Fernando Alonso as the only drivers to reach the mark. He arrives with 399 starts after finishing second in Mexico City last weekend.
The milestone comes at a symbolic venue, since Interlagos is where Lewis Hamilton won his first world title in 2008.
Why entries and starts are the same number
Hamilton’s entries and starts are identical because he has started every Grand Prix he was entered for since his 2007 debut. The only race he missed was the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, after he tested positive for COVID-19.
George Russell took his place at Mercedes that weekend, and Hamilton was not entered, so the record shows no missed start.
The 300th-race promise
Hamilton’s stated goal is to win his 400th race, a target he linked to how he handled earlier milestones. Speaking at the Mexico City media day, before that race weekend began, he said: “It’s my 400th race there, which is kinda nuts.”
He recalled that people told him he could never win once he reached 300 races. Hamilton’s own milestone record is mixed: the source notes he won his 200th race, at Belgium in 2017, and his 250th, at Abu Dhabi in 2019. His 300th was the 2022 French Grand Prix, where he finished second.
Frustration in Mexico City
Hamilton took his first pole position since 2023 in Mexico City but finished second after a lap-one clash. He and Charles Leclerc collided on the opening lap, ending Ferrari’s chance of a one-two.
Max Verstappen went on to win the race. Hamilton has already looked beyond this weekend: “I think these next five races are like test races,” he said in Mexico. He has also named the engine as Ferrari’s biggest weakness.
Ferrari’s Brazil line-up changes
Leclerc will miss Thursday’s media day in São Paulo after becoming a father. Ferrari junior Dino Beganovic will drive Leclerc’s car in Friday’s first practice.
That leaves Hamilton as the focus of Ferrari‘s Thursday media duties as he heads into a landmark weekend.
“It’s my 400th race there, which is kinda nuts.”
— Lewis Hamilton
“I think these next five races are like test races.”
— Lewis Hamilton
FAQ
Q: Who else has started 400 Grand Prix?
Only Fernando Alonso has reached 400 Grand Prix starts before Lewis Hamilton, according to the source.
Q: Who drives Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari in Friday’s first practice?
Ferrari junior Dino Beganovic will drive Leclerc’s car in Friday’s first practice in Brazil. Leclerc misses Thursday’s media day after becoming a father.
Q: Has Hamilton ever missed a Grand Prix he was entered for?
No, Hamilton has started every Grand Prix he was entered for since 2007. He only missed the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix after a positive COVID-19 test, when he was not entered and George Russell replaced him.
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This article was written with the help of AI tools. Editorial policy
