Currently reading: F1 2020: Hamilton ties record with seventh world championship
Mercedes-AMG racer wraps up title with three races of the season left to tie Michael Schumacher's record

Lewis Hamilton has secured a record-equalling seventh Formula 1 World Championship with a dramatic victory in the Turkish Grand Prix.

The British racer’s latest title - his fourth in a row - ties Michael Schumacher’s outright record. Hamilton passed the German’s record of 91 race wins earlier this year, and his success at Istanbul Park was the 94th of his career.

While Hamilton has been dominant this year, wrapping up the title with three races to go, he had to work for his victory in Turkey. The Mercedes-AMG racer started down the order after struggling in a wet qualifying session, and spent much of the race stuck behind Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and struggling for pace.

Matt Prior: is Hamilton the greatest? Of course he is

Surprise Pole-sitter Lance Stroll lead his Racing Point team-mate in wet conditions for much of the early part of the race, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen battling up to third and starting to chase them down.

But as the track began to dry and drivers switched from wet to intermediate tyres the order began to shuffle. Hamilton began to rise up the order, and took the lead by staying out when his key rivals stopped for new intermediate tyres.

That gave Hamilton a substantial lead, which he held to the end. His Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, the only driver who could have beaten Hamilton to the title, had a nightmare race, spinning at the first turn and struggling for grip throughout. He finished out of the points in 14th.

Perez also benefitted from staying out on older tyres to finish second, ahead of Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel.

Hamilton claimed his first title with McLaren in 2008, his second season in the sport, but had to wait until 2014, after he'd switched to Mercedes-AMG, to add his second. Hamilton and Mercedes have dominated since then, with the Brit only missing out on the crown in 2016 when he was narrowly edged by team-mate Nico Rosberg.

Speaking after the race, an emotional Hamilton said: "Naturally, I have to start by saying a huge thank you to the guys here and the guys at the factory. The journey we've been on is monumental."

He added: "It's important for kids out there to see this. Don't listen to anyone who tells you you can't achieve something. Dream the impossible. Speak it into existence. You've got to work for it, chase it, and never give up."

Hamilton's record-equalling seventh world championship is just the lastest record the 35-year-old from Stevenage has now set. He now holds F1 records for the most race wins (94), pole positions (97) and podiums (163). Hamilton's tally of 94 wins from 264 starts means he has won 35.61 per cent of the races he has started, the third highest winning ratio in history.

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405line 16 November 2020

Genius driver, well done.

Said it here well before, this the chap is a driving god. 50% Senna, 25% Prost and 25% Schumacherthat is to say a natural talent with both big humility and on track, real time driving intelligence.This is not meant to be a slur on any of the fore mentioned drivers, it is just how rounded a driver I believe Lewis is/has become.

289 16 November 2020

Lewis.....what a star

He was always going to be this great, you could see this in the GP2 days.

Depressing for everyone else, I know. But this doesnt mean that he should step down and give others a chance. No, it is for them to up their game and compete on equal terms.

Perfect teams who show such dominance are created, not born, and consists of stars in perfect alignement.....It happened with Michael Schumacher , Ross Brawn and Ferrari, and now with Lewis, Toto Wolff and Mercedes-Benz. 

If he doesnt get a knighthood, (or at least the offer of one), then what does an individual have to do in representing their country.....especially given the way they have been scattered around on some dubious context in the past in the sporting world.

sabre 16 November 2020

Knighthood

I hope he does not have to wait for his eighth championship to become Sir Lewis

Peter Cavellini 16 November 2020

Turned it down?

sabre wrote:

I hope he does not have to wait for his eighth championship to become Sir Lewis

I thought he'd be asked a while back?

567 16 November 2020

He should pay his tax in the UK

sabre wrote:

I hope he does not have to wait for his eighth championship to become Sir Lewis

Lewis should pay his tax in the UK first before getting an honour. This has happened to David Beckham not receiving an honour due to him not paying tax in the UK.

TS7 16 November 2020

Nonsense...

There are precidents for 'non-residential' Brits to receive honours.

 

567 wrote:

sabre wrote:

I hope he does not have to wait for his eighth championship to become Sir Lewis

Lewis should pay his tax in the UK first before getting an honour. This has happened to David Beckham not receiving an honour due to him not paying tax in the UK.

AddyT 16 November 2020

567 wrote:

567 wrote:

sabre wrote:

I hope he does not have to wait for his eighth championship to become Sir Lewis

Lewis should pay his tax in the UK first before getting an honour. This has happened to David Beckham not receiving an honour due to him not paying tax in the UK.

Really? Give it a rest. You are no better than the haters I have seen commenting in the main stream media with all the negative comments about him. Everyone will miss him when he's gone - a truly exceptional driver and we may not see another Brit like him in our lifetimes. Wait until the extremely unlikeable Verstappen is winning titles in years to come and then you'll see what a bad winner he is to add to the bad loser we already know that he is. It'll be a sad and frustrating day when that's who we have to watch on the top step all the time, believe me. Leclerc by the way isn't any less arrogant and petulant than Verstappen - you started to see it last season but less this season as he doesn't have the car to perform at the front this time. It'll be these two slugging it out in the future for titles. Eurgh. 

The Colonel 16 November 2020

567 wrote:

567 wrote:

sabre wrote:

I hope he does not have to wait for his eighth championship to become Sir Lewis

Lewis should pay his tax in the UK first before getting an honour. This has happened to David Beckham not receiving an honour due to him not paying tax in the UK.

It's an honour given to British citizens, not taxpayers.  David Beckham wasn't denied a KBE for "not paying tax in the UK" but for using tax avoidance schemes (if indeed that is the actual reason...he has an OBE and, beyond that, I do not know what he has done to be worthty of a KBE).  In the tax year 17/18 David and Victoria Beckham paid £12.7million in tax.

It's quite funny though that it only seem to be people in sport that get this shit flung at them.  Maybe singers too.  I don't recall Roger Moore being the recipent of this kind of brickbat when knighted, in 2003, despite having lived in Switzerland and Monaco for the previous 25 years.