Hamilton can make history today

● Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes team can make Formula One history today as Portugal returns for the first time in 24 years on a calendar reshaped by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The six-times world champion equalled Ferrari great Michael Schumacher’s record 91 grand prix victories in the previous race at the Nuerburgring and now has his first opportunity to go one better.

Mercedes, meanwhile, have their first chance to seal an unprecedented seventh successive constructors’ title, though they may have to wait another weekend.

The champions will need to score 40 points more than closest rivals Red Bull for that to happen at Portimao’s undulating Algarve circuit, which is hosting a grand prix for the first time.

Red Bull have drawn a blank twice in 11 races so far this season, while Hamilton has won seven times and Finnish teammate Valtteri Bottas, now 69 points behind in the standings with six races to go, twice.

Mercedes have scored 40 points or more in six of the races, with three one-two finishes, but on all those occasions Red Bull managed to take at least 15.

Bottas retired with a power unit failure at the Nuerburgring, a blow to his title hopes, but Mercedes are on top of the problem.

“We have identified a failed electrical component in the control electronics as the cause of the problem and the evidence suggests that swift action in retiring the car prevented mechanical damage to his power unit,” said team boss Toto Wolff.

Hamilton has gone well at circuits new to the calendar in the past and has won twice this year at tracks that would not have featured but for the pandemic — Italy’s Mugello and Germany’s Nuerburgring. Spectators are limited to 27,500.