F1: Ranking the 5 best races of Lewis Hamilton in 2018

Lewis Hamilton has a 70 point lead over the second placed, Sebastian Vettel. The gap is significant enough for Lewis to have a good chance of winning his fifth world championship in the upcoming Mexican Grand Prix.

Hamilton was once just a kid from Stevenage expressing his ambitions to Ron Dennis. Now he has four driver's titles to his name and is capable of taking the fight to the best in the business.

With nine race wins in 18 Grands Prix, the British driver has held his nerve and shown immense grit and determination. He has had a terrific second half of the season, helping himself to four back to back victories.

He has signed on a contract with Mercedes till the end of 2020, so surely he still has a few tricks up his sleeve and is showing no signs of stopping. For now, here is a list of his best race wins in 2018:

#5 French Grand Prix

The previous French Grand Prix was held in 2008 and during that one, Lewis Hamilton finished 10th. In 2018, however, Lewis slotted in on pole and held onto his place during the start. Behind him, a fight for second place saw Valtteri Bottas and Sebastian Vettel touch and both of them effectively lost positions.

The safety car was deployed to remove the cars of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly off track. It provided a good opportunity for Bottas to nurse his puncture to the pits and get a fresh set of tyres without losing too much time.

After the restart, Lewis put in a few fast laps to open up a gap between him and Max Verstappen in P2. Once the pit stops were out of the way, the 33-year-old still stayed ahead of the rest of the pack to claim victory at Circuit Paul Ricard. He was so in control during the entire race that he finished seven seconds ahead of Verstappen.

#4 Spanish Grand Prix

Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull Racing filled out the first three rows of the grid during the Spanish Grand Prix, respectively. Lewis Hamilton had a good start to stay ahead of everyone but Valtteri Bottas lost a position to Sebastian Vettel.

Romain Grosjean lost his drive and went off track, only to rejoin and collide with Pierre Gasly and Nico Hulkenberg. The incident warranted a safety car for a few laps to remove the cars and debris from the circuit.

Lewis was absolutely untouchable throughout the race, even as mini battles were fought behind him. There were six retirements during the Grand Prix, but the British driver was unfazed by anything going on behind him.

Mercedes had committed to a solo stop and Hamilton had to ensure that the tyres make the distance. Despite that, Lewis emerged victorious by a healthy margin of more than 20 seconds over his teammate, Valtteri Bottas.

#3 Italian Grand Prix

Driving in Italy might be intimidating for any driver not donning red. Driving in Italy while challenging a Ferrari driver for a world title could be nerve-wracking. However, Lewis Hamilton has prior experience of winning in Italy four times.

The Italian Grand Prix began with Ferrari locking out the front row and Lewis starting behind them. Once the lights went out, Lewis was ready to take the fight to Sebastian Vettel in second. A move around the outside by Hamilton proved costly for Vettel as they touched and the latter spun off and rejoined in 18th.

The initial laps saw the lead being switched back and forth between Lewis and Kimi Räikkönen before Kimi staked claim. A flurry of pit stops later, the Finn was still in front as Valtteri Bottas was asked to stay out longer to keep Kimi behind him.

The tyres on Räikkönen's Ferrari started blistering and soon enough, Lewis was right behind him waiting for any opportunity. The chance came in the 45th lap and the British driver made the move stick this time.

Lewis reached the chequered flag having opened up a gap to second-placed Kimi and won for the fifth time in Monza.

#2 Singapore Grand Prix

During the start of the Singapore Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton got off the line well and held onto his position at the front. Sebastian Vettel passed by Max Verstappen right before a Force India intra-team crash brought out the safety car.

After a flurry of pit stops, the duo switched back their positions as Max's attempt at an overcut was successful. From then on out, Verstappen showed signs of catching up to Hamilton, especially so during traffic.

The drivers at the back end of the field were engrossed in their own battles and were in no mood to move away for the race leaders. The Dutch driver came within touching distance of Lewis, but the latter stayed ahead while manoeuvring around the lapped cars that were reluctant to relent.

Once back ahead of the pack, the Briton put his foot down and started to pull away from Verstappen. Lewis crossed the line in first to register his fourth victory in Singapore.

#1 German Grand Prix

The German Grand Prix began with Sebastian Vettel on pole. He had won the last race in Britain and it was Lewis' day to return the favour in Vettel's home.

Starting down in 14th, the Mercedes driver quickly moved up the field and had a long stint on his first set of tyres before he was pitted for ultra-softs. The decision turned out correct as rain soon hit parts of the circuit and his Mercedes had better grip than the others.

Valtteri Bottas overtook Kimi Räikkönen for second place and soon after Vettel crashed out of the race. During the safety car period, everyone opted for a change of tyres and the first place went to Hamilton.

The Mercedes drivers displayed good wheel to wheel driving as Bottas challenged for the win but soon after the Finn was asked to hold position. Lewis reached the finish line still holding on to P1 and secured a maiden one-two for the team in Germany.

Edited by Kishan Prasad