Lewis Hamilton equals Schumacher’s record with seventh world title

November 15, 2020

Michael Schumacher no longer stands alone as the most decorated driver in F1 history. Lewis Hamilton has joined the German as a seven-time world champion and he did it with a controlled drive that Schumacher would have been proud of.

In the rain, Hamilton struggled in qualifying and started sixth on the grid. Pole-sitter Lance Stroll led the race for a long time and Hamilton found himself a pit stop and several places behind the leader, but the Mercedes driver found his pace when the track dried off and stayed on the intermediate tyre until the end. He even overruled his teammate’s instructions to pit late on, but was vindicated when he crossed the line in first.

“That’s for all the kids out there who dream the impossible, you can do it,” said Hamilton, whose victory was the 94th of his career — also an F1 record.

Six of Hamilton’s seven titles have been won with Mercedes, with the other — his first — coming with McLaren in 2008.

It was also a day to remember for German driver Sebastian Vettel, who secured his first podium since Mexico 2019 with a storming last lap which saw him pip Charles Leclerc on the final corner.

Final podium places:

Hamilton
Perez
Vettel

Fastest lap — Lando Norris (McLaren Renault) — 1:36.806 (lap 58)

Best team — Ferrari (27 points)

Drive of the day — Sebastian Vettel (third) — Climbed nine places from 12th on the grid to secure his first podium finish in over a year.

As it happened:

Lap 58/58 — LEWIS HAMILTON WINS THE TURKISH GRAND PRIX! HE IS A SEVEN-TIME WORLD CHAMPION

Lap 54/58 — Heavy rain is now forecast for the last lap of the rain. Will Hamilton be singing in the rain or drowning his sorrows?

Lap 53/58 — Hamilton is five laps away from glory. His major concern between now and the end of the race is whether he can finish on his intermediates and he asks the Mercedes mechanics: “Is there any chance of this tyre exploding?” — the answer: “We don’t think so Lewis.”

Lap 48/58 — Leclerc breezes past Verstappen to move into a podium place, which results in Verstappen pitting for new intermediates. Hasn’t been a great day for the Dutchman.

Lap 42/58 — Grey clouds are gathering overhead and rain is forecast around lap 48, which could make the final few laps interesting. Meanwhile, the miserable weather reflects Bottas’ afternoon. The Finn has spun yet again and remains down in 13th.

Lap 37/58 — Hamilton leads! Out of nowhere, the champion-in-waiting moves to the front of the pack with the help of DRS, overtaking Perez on turn 12.

Lap 32/58 — Albon loses grip out of turn four and spins out. He clambers back onto the track and that opens the door for Hamilton to sneak into a podium poition. Vettel pits but it’s a sluggish one and the German is fifth.

Lap 28/58 — Stroll tells his team radio that he has understeer, which is allowing Perez to eat into his lead. Meanwhile, Vettel is pulling away from Hamilton, who remains fifth.

Lap 23/58 — To add insult to injury, Verstappen is facing a penalty for his exit from the pit lane a few laps ago. He was clearly feeling some frustration after his spin a few moments before and exited the pits in a reckless manner. Not the greatest few minutes for the young Dutchman.

Lap 18/58 — Drama! Verstappen spins out after trying to overtake Perez through a gap that didn’t exist. He loses control and loses a few places and has to pit onto the intermediates as a result.

Lap 15/58 — Hamilton tries to overtake Vettel to go fourth but locks his brakes and ends up conceding a place to Albon, who feeds off the scraps. Hamilton, usually imperious in the wet, is not quite his self today.

Lap 10/58 — Hamilton is flying now though. He’s made up two places and is back up to sixth on the intermediates. Perez and Verstappen both makes lengthy pit stops, but crucially Verstappen returns to the track ahead of Hamilton.

Lap 5/58 — Up front, Stroll still has the lead but Perez is closing in on him with a fastest lap of 1 min 53.215. Meanwhile, Hamilton has conceded places to Verstappen and Vettel. It’s all happening in the rain out there!

Lap 1/58 — GO GO GO! It’s a nightmare start for Bottas, who spins out and seems to have taken his title hopes for this season with him. He gets back on the track well back and could yet fight his way back, but that’s a major advantage for Hamilton.

After five races with no points, Lance Stroll sealed a stunning pole on a wet track in Istanbul. The Racing Point driver stole top spot away from Max Verstappen, who struggled for grip after a late change to inters.

This is the first pole of the Canadian’s career and with teammate Sergio Perez finishing in a career best starting spot of third, this was a day to remember for Racing Point.

After leading all three practice sessions, Verstappen was audibly disappointed at not finishing first. The Dutchman’s Red Bull teammate Alexander Albon starts in fourth.

Lewis Hamilton, known for his wet-weather driving, struggled and had to contend with sixth on the starting grid. Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas will start in 9th.

In round 14 of this 17-race season, Hamilton remains on course to claim his seventh drivers’ championship. After this qualifying run though, this is a weekend that could shake up the rest of the standings.

Quote of the day

“I didn’t expect this… I had the confidence from the car and I just nailed pretty much every corner. It’s such a great way to bounce back after a few rough weeks.” — Lance Stroll

Lewis Hamilton driving in the wet

Lewis Hamilton struggled in the wet weather

Current standings

1. Hamilton (Mercedes) — 282 points
2. Bottas (Mercedes) — 197
3. Verstappen (Red Bull) — 162
4. Ricciardo (Renault) — 95
5. Leclerc (Ferrari) — 85

The circuit – Intercity Istanbul Park

Situated an hour east of the city, this track was built with few expenses spared when it first hosted a GP back in 2005. It’s design has drawn similarities to Spa and Interlagos, with the fast and bumpy turn 8 one of the most demanding tests for drivers’ focus. It was last on the F1 calendar back in 2011, when Sebastian Vettel, racing for Red Bull, crossed the line first after 58 laps.

Lewis Hamilton: The career of a Formula One legend

Seventh heaven

Lewis Hamilton gets the champagne treatment in Istanbul on a day that he equalled Michael Schumacher’s record of seven world titles. He achieved it with a typically controlled masterclass in the wet conditions, securing his place among the greatest — if not the greatest — driver the sport has seen.

Lewis Hamilton: The career of a Formula One legend

Most race wins of all time

Despite the 2020 season being abbreviated by COVID-19, Lewis Hamilton kept making history. In round 12 of 17, Hamilton overcame a tough start to win in Portimao, a track in Portugal making its Formula One debut. The win took Hamilton’s career race wins to 92, one more than Michael Schumacher.

Lewis Hamilton: The career of a Formula One legend

Title No. 4

Lewis Hamilton enjoys competing against the odds and going into the 2017 F1 season Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel looked the best bet to pose a credible title challenge. With the German plagued by a series of mechanical failures during the campaign, Hamilton helped himself to his fourth drivers’ title in the third-last race of the season.

Lewis Hamilton: The career of a Formula One legend

Provocateur

Lewis Hamilton is known for pushing both his car and his opponents to their limits. At this year’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Hamilton came out of Turn 15 particularly slowly, and his German rival, Sebastian Vettel rear-ended him. Vettel then pulled up beside him and rammed his car. Hamilton denied having been at fault.

Lewis Hamilton: The career of a Formula One legend

Difficult teammate

Hamilton is not always easy to deal with even when he happens to be your teammate. The alpha male didn’t take it well when then-Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg competed hard against him — and succeeded in winning the 2016 drivers’ championship. The German driver’s lack of deference was a constant source of friction between him and F1’s biggest ego.

Lewis Hamilton: The career of a Formula One legend

Fan of Senna

The Briton’s favorite driver when he was growing up was the late Ayrton Senna. In Montreal in June, Hamilton captured the 68th pole position of his career, equaling the record of Senna, who died in a crash at Imola in 1994. Senna’s family recognized the achievement by presenting Hamilton with one of the late Brazilian driver’s helmets.

Lewis Hamilton: The career of a Formula One legend

Father and son

Like the parents of many professional athletes, Hamilton’s father Anthony (above, left) made many sacrifices to make Lewis’ development as a driver possible, at times holding down as many as three jobs at once. Anthony was Lewis’ manager when he first arrived on the circuit in 2007, but the two ended their business relationship in 2010. The two now have a close father-son relationship.

Lewis Hamilton: The career of a Formula One legend

Another Hamilton at the wheel

His entire family are a priority for Hamilton — including his younger half-brother Nicolas, who despite suffering from cerebral palsy has also managed to become a professional racecar driver. Lewis almost burst with pride when Nicolas moved up the British Touring Car Championship in 2015.

Lewis Hamilton: The career of a Formula One legend

Wunderkind

At the age of eight, Hamilton (second from right) enjoyed his first win as a driver racing go-karts. He first came into contact with Formula One in 1996, when Mika Hakkinen (right), who would go on to win two F1 titles, presented the trophies at an an event to honor up-and-coming drivers.

Lewis Hamilton: The career of a Formula One legend

Mentor at McLaren

Ron Dennis (left) was one of the biggest influences on Hamilton early in his career. The longtime team principal of McLaren was impressed when the then-10-year-old Hamilton one day approached him for his autograph and said he intended to drive for McLaren in the future. Three years later, Dennis brought Hamilton into McLaren’s youth program.

Lewis Hamilton: The career of a Formula One legend

Ladies man

Hamilton is said to have dated a long list of famous women such as actress Kate Hudson, singer Rihanna or professional tennis player Maria Sharapova – as well as numerous models. He remains single and doesn’t plan to start a family until his driving career is over. His longest romantic relationship was with the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls, Nicole Scherzinger (right).

Lewis Hamilton: The career of a Formula One legend

Fashion conscious

Hamilton is very mindful of his image and enjoys hanging out with the rich and famous. He is often seen in the front row of fashion shows. Above he is pictured with supermodel Naomi Campbell (left) at a fashion show in Milan. The Briton has said that he has plans to release his own line of clothing in the future.

Lewis Hamilton: The career of a Formula One legend

Party animal

While some drivers unwind by spending quality time with their loved ones, Hamilton prefers to be where the action is, partying at the hottest clubs. He also enjoys sharing his escapades with his social media followers (five million on Instagram, four million on Faceboook).

Lewis Hamilton: The career of a Formula One legend

Title number four

It was an anti-climatic way for Lewis Hamilton to win an historic fourth F1 world championship, but the smile on his face suggested he didn’t care much. A collision with Sebastian Vettel at the start of the Mexican GP left both at the back of the field, but a ninth-placed finish was enough for Hamilton after Vettel finished fourth. Hamilton is the most successful British F1 driver ever.

Lewis Hamilton: The career of a Formula One legend

Trusting soul

Just days after winning the title, Hamilton was in the headlines for something completely different. According to information released as part of the “Paradise Papers” the Briton avoided paying more than $4 million (€3.4 million) in taxes on a private jet by registering it in the Isle of Man. Hamilton said he trusted the advice of his lawyers, who had assured him that the arrangements were legal.