Lewis Hamilton set for seventh title as F1 returns to Turkey

Lewis Hamilton can match Michael Schumacher’s document seven world championships and overtake the previous Ferrari nice as probably the most profitable Formula One driver of all time in Turkey on Sunday. The Mercedes ace, who has a document 93 race wins, might be champion once more on the Istanbul Park circuit if his group mate and sole title rival Valtteri Bottas fails to attain eight factors extra.

The 35-year-old Briton leads Bottas by 85 factors, with 78 remaining to be gained after Turkey when the season heads to the Middle East for a closing triple header in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi.

That means a second place can be sufficient even when Bottas wins, offering the Finn doesn’t additionally take the bonus level for quickest lap.

At its easiest, Hamilton simply has to beat Bottas — one thing he has achieved 10 instances in 13 races thus far this yr.

Hamilton, who already holds data for many pole positions, podiums and factors finishes, has solely twice completed out of the highest three in 2020 with a worst results of seventh. He is on a document run of 46 successive scoring finishes.

Mercedes gained the constructors’ title for an unprecedented seventh yr in a row at Imola in Italy on Nov. 1 and are assured of a seventh successive drivers’ crown as nicely.

“We, as a team, have done such a remarkable job,” mentioned Hamilton after that success, saying the group title was “almost better” than the drivers’.

Hamilton, who has but to signal a contract past this season, could really feel in another way on Sunday.

The title race is the main target however Turkey’s first race since 2011, as a alternative to fill out a championship depleted by the COVID-19 pandemic, might be welcomed by all.

The circuit, with its Turn Eight triple left-hander, was all the time a driver favorite even when crowds had been small. They might be non-existent this weekend, with the race behind closed doorways as a result of pandemic.

“It’s a track that made for good racing in the past, so it will be interesting to see how the modern Formula One cars do on it,” mentioned Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen, who gained the primary Turkish Grand Prix for McLaren in 2005.

The battle to be better of the remainder behind Mercedes and Red Bull can be on a knife edge, with solely some extent separating third positioned Renault, McLaren and fifth positioned Racing Point.