Hamilton so proud after catching up with Schuey
LEWIS HAMILTON made history after matching Michael Schumacher’s Formula One victory record by winning the Eifel Grand Prix.
The British driver started second at the Nurburgring but assumed control of the race on lap 13 when Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas slid off the road.
Despite a late safety car, Hamilton kept his cool to finish 4.4 seconds clear of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen for the 91st win of his career, 14 years and ten days after Schumacher’s last triumph in China.
Six-time world champion Hamilton was presented with one of Schumacher’s helmets by the German’s son Mick after the race and held it aloft to applause from the 13,500 spectators at a venue where Schumacher won five times.
‘I grew up watching Michael winning all those grands prix and I could not fathom equalling him,’ said Hamilton.
‘Getting to Formula One was the first step of the dream and then emulating
Ayrton Senna. But Michael’s record was just so far ahead.
‘It is beyond my wildest dreams that I am here having equalled that record.’
Hamilton moved 69 points clear of Bottas, who retired with engine failure, in his quest for a record-equalling seventh world title. Daniel Ricciardo took the final podium position for Renault.
Hamilton, 35, was denied the landmark victory at his first attempt in Russia after he was penalised by the stewards. And when pole-sitter Bottas held his nerve through the opening two bends it looked as though Hamilton’s drive into the history books would be put on hold.
But, with 13 laps on the board, Bottas locked his front-right tyre under braking, allowing Hamilton to sweep around the outside at the following corner. Five laps later, Bottas was forced to park his Mercedes with an engine failure.