Safe to say the last four-and-a-half months of Lewis Hamilton’s Formula One career have not exactly gone to plan. But young gun Hamilton, in his first season, recorded nine successive podium finishes – a record for a rookie – and the joint-most wins in a debut season with four. 2011 marked the first year Hamilton finished below a team-mate, with McLaren’s Jenson Button capitalising on a surprisingly ill-disciplined season for his compatriot. Button sensationally moved through the field from last to first and went on to finish second behind Sebastian Vettel, while Hamilton’s season petered out. The 24-year-old tyro is in a similar position to Hamilton’s first season alongside Alonso in 2007. Hamilton can likely live with team failures denying him the opportunity for a record eighth title.

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