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This time no one stopped Lewis Hamilton’s party. The Formula 1 world champion from Great Britain won the Eifel Grand Prix at the Nürburgring on Sunday, claiming his 91st victory. The Mercedes man, who also benefited from the early failure of his internal team rival Valtteri Bottas, thus tied Michael Schumacher’s record in his German homeland. Red Bull driver Max Verstappen came in second, Daniel Ricciardo in a Renault third.
Young driver Mick Schumacher, son of the record Formula 1 world champion, gifted Hamilton with a helmet owned by the Schumacher family in the winner’s interview. “Now I really don’t know what to say,” Hamilton stuttered, visibly excited. “It will take me a while to realize that. I have great respect for Michael.”
With his seventh win of the season, a small preliminary decision was made in the World Cup fight with Bottas. Defending champion Hamilton is now 69 points ahead of his teammates. In the absence of six races and the consistency of Hamilton, the Finn would have to bet a lot, who had to give up this time due to a technical defect. Third, 83 points behind Hamilton Verstappen, who secured the extra point for the fastest lap in the race, at the same time a new lap record.
With the seventh world title, Hamilton would also break this record set by Formula 1 legend Schumacher.
For Australia’s Ricciardo it was first place on the podium as a Renault driver, and for the French official team the first since the return from Formula 1 in 2016. “Persistence pays off,” said the 31-year-old from Perth , which will be from 2021 for McLaren-Mercedes will drive. He and his team boss, Cyril Abiteboul, agreed some time ago that he would have to get a tattoo if Ricciardo made the podium. “It will probably have something to do with me and it will have a German touch,” Ricciardo announced.
Another record man had to be celebrated on Sunday: Finn Kimi Räikkönen is now the sole record holder in terms of Grand Prix appearances, as he started his 323rd race. With this, the Alfa Romeo driver surpassed Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, but there were no points for his twelfth place.
