The critical elements seen at Spa that will define Hamilton's F1 legacy

The 2020 Belgian Grand Prix will not go down as the most memorable event that has taken place on the famous 4.35 miles of Spa-Francorchamps.

And yet, across the weekend in the Ardennes, there were several important moments, which established where the race would be won, that were also an essential part of the impact and legacy one of Formula 1's greats is creating.

Even though his career is not yet over, Lewis Hamilton will go down as one of the best drivers F1 has ever had - if not the best. On statistics alone, which will surely become even more relevant in the coming weeks as he closes on Michael Schumacher's all-time win record, he has made his mark on history. Of his peers, so have Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen, and the (soon-to-be) returning Fernando Alonso. Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc are also already forging their own path into the record books.

Few great things happen in isolation. The vast majority are the product of dedication and effort - which lead to sweeter rewards. And so, we can consider certain elements from Hamilton's 89th F1 triumph in the context of his life and career and how they will shape what he will leave behind when it ends.

For a start, it was another virtuoso performance. Hamilton didn't quite seem to hit the heights that he did two weeks previously in Spain - where he spoke of being in a rare "perfect zone".

PLUS: The 2019 "slump" behind Hamilton's Belgian GP power

Perhaps it was the falling track temperatures that dropped his Mercedes W11 out of optimum range for tyre performance late in the race, which led to the sole blip on his performance - a lock-up and off at the final corner that ultimately cost him nothing. Perhaps it was the lack of a closer chase from Verstappen and Red Bull. Perhaps it was the absence of backmarkers on the long Spa track leading to a drive in clear air. Perhaps it was just a different day, a different piece of history.

Whatever it was, Hamilton was brilliant in qualifying and the race. Bottas and Verstappen were good too - just not quite at the same level.

Verstappen reckoned he spent 38 laps "managing" his tyres and Hamilton agreed he had basically done the same. And here's the first element of Hamilton's F1 legacy. No matter what happens when the new-look, renatured cars finally arrive in 2022, Hamilton will go down as the ultimate master of the Pirelli era.

His race on Sunday was not 44 laps pushing flat out all the way - as he acknowledges he would prefer. He got through the start - his La Source-exiting "big snap" actually helping him stay in front come Les Combes - and then did just enough, other than negotiating the safety car restart, to comfortably defeat Bottas. To push on harder would have damaged his rubber and threatened victory - with both Hamilton and Mercedes still wary of what happened at Silverstone.

But, as he said afterwards: "People need to hopefully understand that this isn't our fault [as drivers]."

"When I go back into the office now there's no guys celebrating. They're like, 'OK, how can we win the next race?' It's an incredible mentality to work around" Lewis Hamilton

And this is the point. To bring in a mantra from another sport, cricketers can only play the ball in front of them - they just must make the right choice to succeed. And that's what Hamilton has done. He's understood how to get the various Mercedes cars (and he wasn't exactly unsuccessful in two seasons on Pirellis at McLaren) working with the fragile rubber and execute races to devastating effect. On his opposition and, sadly, on some F1 fans.

No, the Belgian GP wasn't a classic, but surely some solace can be found in watching a master at work.

As a snapshot of the era, his 93rd F1 career pole lap essentially sums up the quality and shocking pace and grip of the Mercedes cars, and how brilliant Hamilton is at riding them to success. Bottas was 0.511s back, very nearly overhauled by Verstappen.

PLUS: How Hamilton's qualifying record compares to Senna and Schumacher

That was the second element on display at Spa last weekend. How the Mercedes machine that Hamilton has helped create is geared for an onslaught of success. It's never-ending because it's designed to be.

"I know it's not necessarily what everyone always wants - to see the Mercedes at the front - but no matter how much success we have, we just keep our heads down," Hamilton said after climbing from his car last Sunday.

"When I go back into the office now there's no guys celebrating. They're like, 'OK, how can we win the next race?' It's an incredible mentality to work around."

Hamilton is now just two race wins away from Schumacher's 91 total. If he continues his latest streak, he will equal that at Mugello - where Ferrari, the team where Schumacher brought so much joy, will be celebrating its 1000th F1 world championship race. It seems ever more likely that he will equal the German on seven world titles come the end of this most unusual of campaigns.

So, not just a great in any subjective sense, but a great in the indisputable realm of statistics (as he would be even if something untoward happened and he could not overhaul Schumacher's achievements).

Metronomic success is frustrating to watch for many - and that is understandable. But some of the attitude, and plain dislike for nefarious reasons, directed towards Hamilton is not. Not a Mercedes or Hamilton fan? Fine, but what they have achieved must be respected. Tribalism, in all its forms, is exhausting.

And this is where the other element of Hamilton's legacy comes in.

He has spent much of the latter part of his F1 career discussing his attempts to improve his own education and knowledge on matters such as the environment or the impact of our food choices. His critics label this hypocrisy when, given the enormous reach of his platforms, surely it would be worse to say nothing all...

In 2020, as one of the world's most successful black sports people, he is a high-profile leader in the push for racial equality as part of the Black Lives Matter movement. Again, this has been met with depressing shouting requests to "keep sport and politics separate" - when we are considering a driver who has experienced racism in and at the very sport within which in competes. And then there's the cruel and ridiculous "all lives matter!" brigade.

PLUS: The provocative questions posed by Hamilton's anti-racism push

But, where this commendable drive came into its own at Spa concerned Hamilton's reaction to the death of Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman.

In Hamilton, motorsport has its own trailblazer for inspiring people of similar backgrounds to his own

"I remember when Black Panther came out and, as a huge Marvel fan, just knowing how Hollywood has been for a long time, to see the first black superhero come out I think everyone was just so proud," Hamilton said. "To really represent.

"I think the whole under representation thing in general, is such a common thing and so to be able to see somebody make it like him, and be such a powerful figure within the Avengers world - it was incredible.

"Such an honour and inspiring to young kids. I can imagine a young kid looking up and seeing that it's possible to be a superhero now. A young black kid. I think his legacy will always live on."

In Hamilton, motorsport has its own trailblazer for inspiring people of similar backgrounds to his own. So far, he is F1's only black driver, and hopefully there are black and ethnic minority fans today that are gaining their own inspiration or being interested in motor racing as a result of his success.

This will be a key part of his legacy and is something to be celebrated.

Even if domination from one team and driver can be considered harmful for F1 overall - and Hamilton acknowledged that himself in the press conference after the race - what we are witnessing from one of F1's true greats is in itself an important spectacle to behold and respect.