Lewis Hamilton on Brink of Unwanted Ferrari Record After 18-Race Podium Drought

Lewis Hamilton is on the verge of setting an unfortunate milestone at Ferrari, with his podium drought at the Scuderia now stretching to 18 Grands Prix, equalling a record that has stood for 43 years.

If the seven-time Formula 1 World Champion fails to finish in the top three at next weekend’s United States Grand Prix, Hamilton will surpass Didier Pironi’s long-standing record for the most races at the start of a Ferrari career without a podium finish.

Pironi’s dry spell ended at the 1982 San Marino Grand Prix, his 19th start for the Maranello outfit. For Hamilton, that means Austin represents his final chance to avoid taking outright ownership of the unwanted statistic.

A Difficult Start to Life in Red

Hamilton’s move to Ferrari from Mercedes ahead of the 2025 season was one of the most anticipated transfers in modern Formula 1 history, the sport’s most successful driver joining its most iconic team. Yet, the partnership has struggled to deliver on its early promise.

At the Singapore Grand Prix, Hamilton finished eighth after serving a five-second time penalty, matching Pironi’s 18-race mark without a podium. His best results so far have come in sprint events, where he claimed a win in Shanghai and a third place in Miami, neither counting toward his official Grand Prix podium tally.

Record Few Expected

Pironi’s record has remained untouched for more than four decades, a testament to how rare it is for a driver of Hamilton’s calibre to endure such a barren run at Ferrari.

When the 105-time Grand Prix winner signed for the Scuderia, expectations were sky-high that he could bring Ferrari back to the front of the grid. Instead, the team has struggled to match the consistency of McLaren and Red Bull, with Hamilton often finding himself mired in the midfield.

Now, as the championship heads to Austin, the 40-year-old faces the prospect of breaking a record no Ferrari driver wants the longest wait for a podium at the start of their career with the team.

Should he fail to finish in the top three in Texas, Hamilton’s next opportunity to end the streak will come a week later at the Mexican Grand Prix.

For a driver who has rewritten the record books throughout his career, this is one milestone Hamilton will be desperate to avoid.

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