Loading

  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

DHL Fastest Lap Award
The DHL Fastest Lap Award is given annually by the courier, Formula One global partner and logistics provider DHL "to recognise the driver who most consistently demonstrates pure speed, with the fastest lap at the highest number of races each season", and to reward the winning driver for "characteristics such as excellent performance, passion, can-do attitude, reliability and precision". First awarded in 2007 by DHL, the trophy's official naming patron, it is presented to the driver with the highest number of fastest laps over the course of the season, with one point awarded to the fastest lap holder of a Grand Prix. In the event of a tie, there is a countback and the driver with the highest number of second-fastest laps earns the award. If this is also tied, third-fastest laps are considered, and so on, until a winner is found. The trophy is presented to the winning driver at the final round of the season.

The inaugural winner was the Ferrari driver Kimi Räikkönen with six fastest laps in 2007. The award has been decided on a tiebreaker on four occasions. Räikkönen and his teammate Felipe Massa tied with six fastest laps and two-second-quickest laps in 2007 with the former winning by having more third-fastest laps than the latter. In 2009, Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel and his teammate Mark Webber had three fastest laps at the end of the season but Vettel won with two more second-fastest laps than the latter. Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton each had five fastest laps in 2010 with Alonso finishing ahead with a higher number of second-best laps. In 2021, both Hamilton and Red Bull's Max Verstappen set six fastest laps with Hamilton declared the winner for recording more second-fastest laps than Verstappen.

British drivers have won the award six times, German drivers four times, and Finnish racers three times. Mercedes have won on seven occasions to Red Bull Racing's six and Ferrari's three. The 2023 recipient was Verstappen of the Red Bull Racing team with nine fastest laps, his second time winning the award after earning it the year before.

Winners

A man in his early thirties sporting a beard and looking to the left of the camera. He is wearing a black baseball cap, a black T-shirt with silver stripes adorning the sides of his sleeves and is sporting a chain necklace around his neck
Lewis Hamilton (pictured in 2016) has won the award six times, more than any other driver
Key
* Indicates driver won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship that season
DHL Fastest Lap Award winners
Year Winner Nationality Constructor Car Fastest laps Won Ref(s)
2007 Kimi Räikkönen*  Finnish Ferrari Ferrari F2007 6 Race 17 of 17
2008 Kimi Räikkönen  Finnish Ferrari Ferrari F2008 10 Race 13 of 18
2009 Sebastian Vettel  German Red Bull Racing Red Bull RB5 3 Race 17 of 17
2010 Fernando Alonso  Spanish Ferrari Ferrari F10 5 Race 19 of 19
2011 Mark Webber  Australian Red Bull Racing Red Bull RB7 7 Race 18 of 19
2012 Sebastian Vettel*  German Red Bull Racing Red Bull RB8 6 Race 18 of 20
2013 Sebastian Vettel*  German Red Bull Racing Red Bull RB9 7 Race 17 of 19
2014 Lewis Hamilton*  British Mercedes Mercedes F1 W05 Hybrid 7 Race 18 of 19
2015 Lewis Hamilton*  British Mercedes Mercedes F1 W06 Hybrid 8 Race 18 of 19
2016 Nico Rosberg*  German Mercedes Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid 6 Race 20 of 21
2017 Lewis Hamilton*  British Mercedes Mercedes AMG F1 W08 EQ Power+ 7 Race 19 of 20
2018 Valtteri Bottas  Finnish Mercedes Mercedes AMG F1 W09 EQ Power+ 7 Race 20 of 21
2019 Lewis Hamilton*  British Mercedes Mercedes AMG F1 W10 EQ Power+ 6 Race 20 of 21
2020 Lewis Hamilton*  British Mercedes Mercedes-AMG F1 W11 EQ Performance 6 Race 14 of 17
2021 Lewis Hamilton  British Mercedes Mercedes-AMG F1 W12 E Performance 6 Race 21 of 22
2022 Max Verstappen*  Dutch Red Bull Racing Red Bull Racing RB18 5 Race 21 of 22
2023 Max Verstappen*  Dutch Red Bull Racing Red Bull Racing RB19 9 Race 19 of 22

Statistics

See also