As Lewis Hamilton was greeted by the chequered flag for the 10th time this season, he described it as “the greatest moment of my life”.
And as the emotion flooded out, it was easy to see the gargantuan nature of his achievement and quite what it meant to him.
– F1: Hamilton crowned World Champion at USGP
– F1: Hamilton humbled to equal Senna’s record
– F1: Mixed feelings for Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel
He has often said the record books do not bother him but there has always been one target in his sights, emulating anything that his idol Ayrton Senna did.
Hamilton was just nine years old when Senna lost his life in the tragic events of the San Marino Grand Prix, and would come back from school in the intervening years to pore over video footage of the late Brazilian.
Now, in numbers at least, he is on par with his hero having achieved his third world title in a manner that would have done Senna proud in a truly pulsating United States Grand Prix that highlighted the true racer in Hamilton.
Having become only the 10th driver in history to achieve at least three world titles, where does this achievement rank him? Without question, he can call himself a great, in his own right the Senna of his time.
Guys. 3x. Wow!!!! Thank you all so much. Your support means the world. #WonMoreTime #WeDidIt #TeamLH #WorldChampion pic.twitter.com/sSPJza1DzI
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) October 25, 2015
What’s more, there perhaps should have been more titles to his name, most notably the one that really got away in 2007 in a quite remarkable rookie year for the Briton.
Like Senna, he has that X factor that the fans so desperately love, that ability to get in the car and pull off a breathtaking qualifying lap from nowhere or the manner in which he is so repetitively quick lap after lap in the race itself.
Hamilton attempts passing moves many of his peers would not dare to – from Austin his successful bid to get a jump on Nico Rosberg at the first turn a case in point – helped in part by his innate feel for the car and his quick reactions at any flashpoint.
He excites in the manner that he seemingly likes to go for broke – akin to Senna – but it is not with quite the bravado and rashness of his youth, a more mature Hamilton now knowing when to take the chance and be less rushed knowing his race craft means other opportunities will arise as a race ensues.
Then for all the smiling veneer for the crowds and the cameras before and after the race, there is also an utter ruthlessness behind the wheel, which his former friend Rosberg has seen all too well during their Mercedes partnership and was met with a much-publicised sullenness by Rosberg in the Austin aftermath.
How does he stack against the F1 greats in the record books?
Hamilton is far from the mould of a Michael Schumacher, who built an entire team around him, often liked to be the first person in and out of the Ferrari factory, and ensured that everyone was geared towards making him No1.
The Briton is not quite the inter-team politician in that manner. Sure, he wants to let it be known he is very much his team’s No1 but he simply does that on the track by proving he is quicker whether it is a Rosberg, Jenson Button or Fernando Alonso in matching overalls in the other side of the garage.
Comparing drivers to those from another generation is never straightforward but he deserves to be put in the same bracket as a Senna or other multi-title winning drivers from generations past such as Jim Clark, Sir Jackie Stewart or Alain Prost.
There are those that have argued that Hamilton has a genetic talent, and was simply born with the DNA to make him quicker than the rest of his peers.
That downplays how hard he has worked on and off the track to ensure that he is in exactly the right mindset to win week after week.
It appears that the Hamilton of 2015 is the happiest he has been during his F1 tenure.
Only Schumacher and Prost now lie ahead of Hamilton on the all-time wins list #F1 #F1FastFact pic.twitter.com/LkT78xOGxm
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 26, 2015
At every race weekend, he turns up and does his job without a doubt in his mind. And Mercedes – unlike the shackles that seemed to be in place at McLaren particularly in terms of commitments with sponsors – have let him be his own man off the track.
While at McLaren there was a sense he was still treated like the young kid the team first signed, Merc have let him spread his wings and if that means being in the recording studio, holidaying in Miami or hanging out with celebrities in New York then so be it as long as he delivers on the track.
There are those that suggest Rosberg’s form has dipped this season. And that he may have just had a bit more of the bad luck that went his teammate’s way last year.
I believe it’s more down to the manner in which Hamilton has got another season’s understanding at Mercedes of how the team works, how he works and how to get the best out of the car and those around him.
One gets a feeling Hamilton hasn’t yet peaked. The best is still to come and he could become even greater.
