What if Hamilton had driven the Ferrari in 2017?
In 2017 the SF70H was the fastest car for much of the year. Would Hamilton have won with it?
The simulation's verdict
Lewis Hamilton would have won the 2017 title in 100% of the 200 simulations.
Lewis Hamilton
Kimi Räikkönen
Who finished ahead
Based on 200 simulations of the 2017 season. Numbers can vary each time you play.
Historical context
In 2017 Ferrari built a genuinely competitive car for the first time in years. Vettel led the championship for much of the year with the SF70H. However, the second half of the season tilted towards Mercedes. The question is: what would have happened with Hamilton driving that Ferrari from day one?
The real 2017 season
The 2017 season brought hope back to Ferrari fans. With a rule change towards wider, faster cars, the Scuderia produced the SF70H, the most serious rival Mercedes had faced since the start of the hybrid era. Sebastian Vettel led the championship for much of the first half of the year, in a direct duel with Lewis Hamilton that promised to go all the way. But the balance tipped after the summer: a Vettel crash at the start in Singapore and a run of Ferrari reliability problems deflated his chances. Hamilton and Mercedes hit their stride in the closing stretch and the Briton was crowned four-time world champion, cementing his status among the greatest in history.
Real champion: Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes W08. Singapore: Vettel crashes with Verstappen and Räikkönen at the start — loses his championship lead. See the full 2017 season →
The driver
Lewis Hamilton is the most decorated driver in history in wins and poles, and equals Schumacher with seven world titles. Raised in Stevenage and backed by McLaren from childhood, he burst onto the scene in 2007 with such force that he came within a single point of the championship in his rookie year. He made amends in 2008, clinching his first title on the final corner of the last race in Brazil, snatching it from Felipe Massa metres from the line. Full profile →
How it's simulated
The engine recreates qualifying (Q1, Q2, Q3) and every Grand Prix with the ~20 real drivers of 2017, weighing each car's performance, driver skill, weather, safety cars and tyre wear. Learn how the simulator works →
Season
2017
Mode
One driver, different car
Car
Ferrari
Tags
Choose driver, car and season. The engine simulates the full championship with real drivers.