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Lewis Hamilton claimed the 2020 Formula One world championship at the Turkish Grand Prix with a remarkable victory, bringing his tally to seven titles to equal Michael Schumacher’s record.
After a tense and difficult challenge in treacherous wet conditions, Hamilton was in no mood to settle for the points that would have secured his title and instead sealed it in style. Such has been his dominance this season and, with his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas achieving just 14th place, the championship secured his position as the most successful driver in the history of the sport.
Sergio Pérez was second for Racing Point, with Sebastian Vettel third. German Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc was fourth. McLaren’s Carlos Sainz was fifth.
Speaking on team radio after taking the checkered flag, Hamilton said: “For all the kids who dream of the impossible … you can do it too, man. I believe in you guys. Thank you all for your support “.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he added: “We dreamed of this when I was young, when we were watching the grand prize… and this is far, far beyond our dreams. It is very important that children see this: do not listen to anyone who tells you that you cannot achieve something. Speak for it to exist, you have to work to achieve it, you have to pursue it. Never give up and never doubt yourself. “
Having started from sixth place, Hamilton took his time making sure he didn’t get into trouble until the conditions got to him and he rushed forward to claim a memorable victory that perhaps defines why he has been so unstoppable this season.
Schumacher’s records were thought to be untouchable, but Hamilton has not only equaled some and beaten others, he is in every position to set new benchmarks far beyond the German’s records. He has already broken Schumacher’s pole and win records with 94 and 97 respectively.
This season has been a lesson in why he has reached such heights. He has been simply untamed with 10 wins and nine poles in 14 races; No driver has even come close to putting it under pressure, including Bottas, who has identical and dominant Mercedes machinery. In a season cut short to 17 races due to the pandemic, Hamilton has still closed it with three in hand.
He only needed to beat Bottas to ensure he sealed his seventh title, but the world champion sealed it decisively, without any feeling of being tentative given the stakes.
The title also represents another milestone for Mercedes. Having secured the constructors’ championship in the final round at Imola, they have now achieved a seventh consecutive driver and constructor double this weekend. They’ve been undefeated as constructors since the turbo-hybrid era began in 2014 and for most of those years they’ve been pretty untouchable.
Hamilton and Mercedes knew it was going to be a tough race. They had been out of rhythm all weekend, unable to put their tires in the correct operating window in the cold temperatures and with the track surface offering very little grip. The enthusiasm with which the riders had returned to Istanbul Park since it last hosted a race in 2011 had faded early in the weekend when it became clear that the track, which was repaved two weeks ago, was still very slippery due to the oils involved in the process. it had yet to dissipate.
Rain hit the circuit shortly before the start and conditions were dangerous on the first lap. Lance Stroll walked away from pole for Racing Point, but Hamilton stormed on the inside to claim third from sixth on the grid, while Bottas’s feeble hopes were dashed in seconds – he spun after being cut by Esteban Ocon in turn one, with the Finn. relegated to 18.
Hamilton soon had his own drama, however, opening at Turn 10 on the second lap to outrun him to sixth, while Vettel had done excellently to go from 11th to third.
Stroll maintained their lead over teammate Pérez, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen now in fourth place as the pioneers settled into a careful pace on the wet track, with both Racing Point cars comfortably facing their rivals on pace. With the track drying out, crews began to pit for the intermediate tires on lap seven. Verstappen stayed out a bit longer in full rain, but after pitting, a slow stop meant he still emerged third behind Stroll and Perez.
Hamilton was behind Vettel in fifth place, maintaining a determined effort to overtake Ferrari. In fact, trying to do so sent him off track at Turn 11, allowing Alexander Albon to pass.
The world champion was frustrated that he couldn’t get past Vettel, who was holding him up and clearly still hoped to catch up with the leaders. Stroll, showing remarkable composure up front, was eight seconds ahead of Pérez on lap 16, but conditions remained difficult as Verstappen spun while trying to pass Pérez on lap 18 and had to pit. , having punctured their tires.
When the teams chose to continue with the interest until the second pit stops, Hamilton once again made a decisive decision. He had attracted the two leaders and insisted to the team that they could stay out.
When Stroll pitted, Hamilton edged out Perez for the lead at Turn 12 and quickly opened a 10-second gap, showing real pace in clean air. While the drivers were still turning en masse across the circuit, Hamilton was on the rails. He stayed on the track without making a second stop and easily claimed the flag, the title and his position as one of the best drivers of all time, 30 seconds down the road from Pérez.
Verstappen was sixth and his teammate Albon was seventh. McLaren’s Lando Norris was eighth, Stroll in ninth and Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo in tenth.
