F1: Lewis Hamilton set to equal Michael Schumacher's championships tally
Mercedes ace Lewis Hamilton is set to match the legendary Michael Schumacher's tally of seven world championships in Formula 1. The Briton, who leads the show in F1 2020 season, could script this special record in the upcoming Turkish Grand Prix. Hamilton is also looking to win his fourth successive world championship title. Here are further details.
Hamilton, who has a record 93 race wins, will be champion again at the Istanbul Park circuit if his team-mate Valtteri Bottas fails to score eight points more. Notably, the 35-year-old leads Bottas by 85 points, with 78 remaining to be won after Turkey. A second-placed finish would be enough even if Bottas wins, providing the Finn doesn't take the bonus point.
Hamilton has collected 282 points this season, with nine race wins and 11 podium finishes in total. His team-mate Bottas has 197 points, including two wins and nine podium finishes. Besides them, Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly have won a race each this year. Hamilton is in stellar form and has claimed three successive race wins. He is the favorite to win in Turkey.
Schumacher had won seven world championships in his glittering career (1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004). Meanwhile, Hamilton has been victorious in 2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019. The latter, who holds the record for most pole positions, podiums and points finishes, has only twice finished out of the top three in 2020.
Mercedes won the constructors' title for an unprecedented seventh year in a row at Imola in Italy earlier this month. They have 479 points so far. Mercedes are assured of a seventh successive drivers' crown as well. "We, as a team, have done such a remarkable job," said Hamilton after his team won the constructors.
