Lewis eyes Schumacher record in race 200
THREE-TIME world champion Lewis Hamilton will start his 200th Grand Prix in Belgium on Sunday (at 7pm Cambodian time), seeking to match German racing legend Michael Schumacher’s record of 68 pole positions.
With the summer break out of the way, the British driver will be chasing his fifth win of the season as he bids to claw back points on title-race leader, four-time champion Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari.
Back in Europe after spending F1’s now-traditional European summer break in the Caribbean, Hamilton, who gave up third for his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas in Hungary, lies 14 points behind Vettel.
Hamilton won at Spa in 2015, but was beaten by his then teammate and 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg last year, and he has had mixed results at the famous old sprawling and highspeed circuit.
In 2008, when Hamilton won his first tit le, he was relegated from first to t hird for cutting a chicane, and he has suffered in ot her incidents including a collision wit h Rosberg t hat left him wit h a puncture, in 2014.
Seeking his third Belgian win, Hamilton will be the pre-race favourite to win again but knows that Ferrari have regained the momentum in the title race following their dominant onetwo finish led by Vettel in Hungary.
Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff has already warned his squad not to take anything for granted.
“Assumptions are dangerous,” Wolff said. “We have seen too many times already this season that the form book can be rewritten from one weekend to the next. So we will be making no assumptions.”
The race may also be affected – as often in the past – by the capricious micro-climate of the region, which can mean parts of the track are under water in rainfall while others remain dry.
That, for Max Verstappen, may be a bonus as he bids to put what has so far been a mixed season back on track.
“I just love the [Spa-Francorchamps circuit] and it’ll be nice seeing so many orange fans in the stands,” said Red Bull’s Belgium-born Dutch driver.
“Spa is my favourite track – you have to get everything right, but when you get a good lap, it’s very rewarding.”
Ferrari’s second driver Kimi Raikkonen, a four-time Spa winner who has been confirmed on the team for next year, could say the same thing.
“It will not be easy for us, as Mercedes has the horsepower, but we will do what we can and who knows? Let’s see what happens.”
A big crowd is expected to camp out and herald Formula One’s “return to work” from the beach at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix where Stoffel Vandoorne will hope to mark his retention by McLaren with a strong showing in front of his home fans.