Lewis Hamilton secures F1 points boost after US GP embarrassment

Despite falling to an embarrassing new low at the United States Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton has also set a new F1 record in the process.

The seven-time world champion finished fourth in both the sprint race and main race at Austin in a much-improved performance from both Hamilton and his Ferrari team.

But that inability to get on the podium once again in the grand prix means that he has picked up an embarrassing new record with the Scuderia, making him the first Ferrari driver to finish 19 grands prix without a podium.

The 40-year-old has not secured a podium in a full length race since the 2024 Las Vegas GP when he was racing with Mercedes, but has achieved five fourth-place finishes since then.

However, the abundance of points from these fourth-place finishes (and his overall tally of 142 in 2025) mean that Hamilton has now become the first driver in F1 history to have scored 5000 points in the sport.

Hamilton sits atop that all-time list with 5004.5 points, ahead of Max Verstappen who has picked up 3329.5 points. F1 legend Sebastian Vettel remains in third with 3098 points.

Of course, points-paying rules changed back in 2010 to award race winners with 25 points rather than 10, which is why the likes of Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost and Juan Manuel Fangio are not near the top of this particular all-time list.

Hamilton, though, started racing in 2007, and so those 5000 points have been achieved over two different points-paying systems, while Verstappen has always had the luxury of being awarded 25 points for his race wins.

Can Hamilton claim first Ferrari podium in 2025?

Much of the talk surrounding Hamilton and Ferrari has been about whether the partnership can bounce back in 2026, with new regulations sweeping into the sport offering both team and driver the chance of a reset.

However, Hamilton will be desperate to banish his grand prix podium curse before then, and be able to head into 2026 with more confidence.

The US GP seemed like a perfect place for Hamilton to do that, at a track that he has loved in the past, but that opportunity has been and gone.

Hamilton knows he was very fast in Vegas last year, however, as well as at Abu Dhabi, and he also has the Brazilian GP coming up, a historic track that he has won at on three occasions.

But time is running out for the champion to end his maiden campaign in red on a high, with just five rounds left to secure a grand prix podium.

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