5 times Lewis Hamilton was dominated by his teammate

Lewis Hamilton has been a prominent presence on the F1 grid since he made his debut in 2007. The British driver is a 7x world champion and someone who's achieved a lot in multiple teams. Not only that, what's stood out is that the driver has been teamed up with some of the very best talents the sport has ever seen.

Having teamed up with champions like Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, and Nico Rosberg, the Ferrari-bound driver has had some serious competition within his team. While there have been plenty of instances when he's got the better of his rivals, there have also been others where he has lost out to them.

There are other instances, however, where Lewis Hamilton got dominated by his teammate as well. In this feature, we're taking a look at the occasions when the 7-time world champion was dominated by his teammate.

When Lewis Hamilton was outclassed by his teammate

#1 Fernando Alonso (2007 F1 Belgian GP)

Fernando Alonso's sole year at McLaren as Lewis Hamilton's teammate is often looked at as something where the Spaniard was humbled by the rookie. The truth is far from it, as the competition was not only intense but also very close, as momentum went both ways.

One of those instances was in Spa at the height of the tension between Alonso and McLaren. The Spaniard would not only outqualify Hamilton by 3 tenths (both had somewhat similar fuel levels), but he would also pull off a brutal move on the rookie going into Eau Rouge on the very first lap of the race.

From that point onwards, it was not even a contest anymore as Alonso pulled away and Hamilton couldn't keep up. This was a timely reminder in that year's title battle that the Spaniard could not be overlooked, and as it turned out, he did end the season on the same points as the Brit.

#2 Jenson Button (2011 F1 Japanese GP)

Sebastian Vettel with Jenson Button (R) and Lewis Hamilton (L) in Parc Ferme following qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix - Source: Getty

It's not often that Lewis Hamilton is just no match to his teammate on race day, but during the 2011 F1 season, there were moments when the driver found it hard to adjust to the Pirelli rubber and keep his nose clean as well. In such situations, it doesn't help if your teammate is a world champion himself who performs at a very high level in general.

One of the more prominent examples was in Suzuka in 2011 when Jenson Button qualified ahead of Lewis Hamilton for the race. Button would get jumped by Hamilton in the race at the start, but a superior pace and tire management meant that it was only a matter of time before he recovered.

Hamilton struggled to keep the tires alive in the race, and while Button would go on to win, his teammate would further struggle in an event hampered by a collision.

#3 Jenson Button (2012 F1 Australian GP)

(L-R) Romain Grosjean, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button during the Australian F1 Grand Prix - Qualifying - Source: Getty

Arguably one of the more damning weekends in the rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button was in Melbourne in 2012. Hamilton, being the faster driver over a lap, beat Button in the battle for pole.

The roles were reversed, however, as soon as the race began, as Jenson Button got the jump on his teammate. From that point onwards it was just one-way traffic, as Hamilton just couldn't keep up with his teammate and would further end up finishing the race in P3.

While Hamilton did get a bit unlucky with the safety car that cost him, the early pace from Button was a clear indication that he could not have kept up with his teammate.

#4 Nico Rosberg (2013 F1 Indian GP)

Lewis Hamilton with Nico Rosberg during the 2013 Grand Prix of India - Source: Getty

During the 4-year-long Nico Rosberg partnership, the pendulum swung both ways, but there were points where the German fared better. One of them was in India in 2013, where Nico first beat Lewis in qualifying, and then when it came to the race, the driver was just better and would finish the race in P2 while his British teammate was just too far behind.

#5 George Russell (2022 F1 Imola GP)

George Russell leads Lewis Hamilton during F1 Grand Prix of Emilia Romagna - Sprint - Source: Getty

The George Russell partnership ended last season, but the duo had a very intense inter-team rivalry where the momentum shifted to each side throughout the year. There were moments when Lewis Hamilton was just unbeatable, and then there were others where the younger driver held the advantage.

One of the weekends, however, where George Russell was simply dominant and in a different league over his teammate was in Imola in 2022. While Hamilton struggled with the new ground effect car, the younger teammate made it a point to finish P4 in the main race.

Hamilton struggled and was stuck in traffic throughout this race; Russell, however, pulled off a spectacular overtake on Magnussen to climb up to P4.