Lewis Hamilton Leaves Out Historic Moment of Matching Michael Schumacher’s Record as 7x Champ Reveals His Favorite Race Moments…
Hamilton seals Turkish GP, equals Schumacher’s 7 F1 titles
Lewis Hamilton continues to build his case as the greatest Formula 1 driver of all time.
The Mercedes star clinched his seventh drivers’ championship, winning Sunday’s Turkish Grand Prix and tying Michael Schumacher for the all-time lead in F1 titles. It’s the fourth straight championship for Hamilton and his sixth in the past seven years.
“I’m definitely a bit lost for words,” the 35-year-old said after Sunday’s eventful Grand Prix, which saw the drivers battle a soaked, slippery track. “A huge thanks to the team. To Team LH for sticking with me for all these years. And to my family. This is way, way beyond our dreams.”
“It’s so important for kids out there to see this. … Don’t listen to anyone who tells you you can’t achieve something,” an emotional Hamilton added. “Dream the impossible. Speak it into existence. You’ve got to work for it, chase it, and never give up.”
The victory in Istanbul marks Hamilton’s 94th race win, extending his record in that category.
The British driver, who started Sunday’s race in sixth place after a wet qualifying session, already surpassed Schumacher in single race wins in late October with his 92nd triumph at the Portuguese Grand Prix.
Hamilton, incredibly, has now won 10 of this season’s 14 races to build an unassailable lead atop the drivers’ standings:
Position | Driver | Team | Points |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 307 |
2 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 197 |
3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 170 |
4 | Sergio Perez | Racing Point | 100 |
5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 97 |
6 | Daniel Ricciardo | Renault | 96 |
7 | Carlos Sainz | McLaren | 75 |
8 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 74 |
9 | Alexander Albon | Red Bull Racing | 70 |
10 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri | 63 |
Hamilton won his first world title with McLaren in 2008.
He moved to Mercedes in 2013 and, along with his team, has gone on to dominate the sport. Nico Rosberg, who claimed his first and only world championship in 2016 with Mercedes, is the only other person to secure a drivers’ title since Hamilton began his run of excellence in 2014.
Heading into Sunday’s race in Turkey, Hamilton’s current teammate, Valtteri Bottas, was the only other driver on the grid with a hope – albeit faint – of getting his hands on this year’s trophy.
Amid treacherous wet conditions that proved tricky for everyone, Bottas, who started ninth, endured multiple spins early in the race, effectively ending any chance he had of delaying Hamilton’s inevitable celebration. Hamilton ultimately lapped his Finnish peer.
“He deserves it fully. He was better this year,” Bottas, who came home a disappointing 14th, said of his teammate, according to Motorsport Week.
Sergio Perez of Racing Point finished second on Sunday. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel crossed the line in third, passing teammate Charles Leclerc on the final lap, to record his best finish of the season and round out the podium.
Lance Stroll, who started on pole, had to settle for ninth place.