Hamilton equals Schumacher win record

NÜRBURG, Germany (AP):

Even Lewis Hamilton once saw Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 wins in Formula One (F1) as unbeatable. Now he’s matched it.

Schumacher’s son Mick presented Hamilton with one of his father’s old helmets after the British driver took a record-equalling 91st win at Germany’s Eifel Grand Prix yesterday.

“Seeing his dominance, I don’t think anyone, and especially me, didn’t imagine that I’d be anywhere near Michael in terms of records so it’s an incredible honour and it’s going to take some time to get used to,” Hamilton said, adding that he used to choose Schumacher as his character in a video game.

“That number’s so big and when it’s so far away it’s hard for people to perhaps fully understand how hard it was for him to go those 91 wins, to deliver weekend in and weekend out, year on year on year and stay so physically in shape and so precise. So I understand that now more than ever,” Hamilton said.

“And I can only tell you that it doesn’t get easier from your first win to 91st. I’m telling you, it’s been a long, hard run.”

Schumacher has required constant care since he sustained severe head injuries in an accident while skiing in 2013.

Hamilton took a big step closer to matching Schumacher’s record of seven titles, too, after his teammate Valtteri Bottas failed to finish with an engine problem. Hamilton now leads the championship by 69 points with six races to go.

Hamilton took the win by 4.5 seconds from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, with third for Daniel Ricciardo in Renault’s first podium finish since 2011.

It was the first F1 race since 2013 at the Nürburgring in Germany and was named the Eifel Grand Prix after a nearby mountain range.

Organisers said 13,500 spectators watched the race, the second-highest attendance for F1 in the pandemic-hit season. Around 3,000 more tickets were initially cancelled because their buyers lived in areas with high rates of coronavirus infection. However, 1,500 of the 3,000 ticket-holders were eventually allowed to attend following “enormous effort, for example by negative corona tests”, the track management said.

After Hamilton matched Schumacher’s record in front of a German crowd at a track where Schumacher won five times, he can surpass it on a track where F1 has never raced before. The Algarve circuit in Portimao, Portugal, hosts its first race on October 25 as an extra round on the calendar amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Eifel Grand Prix results

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 25

2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 19

3. Daniel Ricciardo (Renault) 15

4. Sergio Perez (Racing Point) 12

5. Carlos Sainz (McLaren) 10

6. Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) 8

7. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 6

8. Nico Hülkenberg (Racing Point) 4

9. Romain Grosjean (Haas) 2

10. Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo) 1

F1 Driver Championship standings

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 230

2. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) 161

3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 147

4. Daniel Ricciardo (Renault) 78

5. Sergio Perez (Racing Point) 68

6. Lando Norris (McLaren) 65

7. Alex Albon (Red Bull) 64

8. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 63

9. Lance Stroll (Racing Point) 57

10. Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) 53

F1 Constructor Championship standings

1. Mercedes 391

2. Red Bull 211

3. Racing Point 120

4. McLaren 116

5. Renault 114

6. Ferrari 80

7. AlphaTauri 67

8. Alfa Romeo 5

9. Haas 3

10. Williams 0

Social media mention (Twitter)

“Feeling really honoured to be mentioned in the same likeness as a driver like Michael. What happened today is beyond my wildest dreams. I can’t express how grateful I am to all the fans, and to my amazing team for being with me on this journey. This is for us #91”

@LewisHamilton