Hamilton equals Schumacher’s F1 wins record with Eifel GP victory
Lewis Hamilton has 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 team-mate Valtteri Bottas slid off the road.
Despite a late safety car, Hamilton kept his cool to cross the line 4.4 seconds clear of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and claim the 91st win of his remarkable career, 14 years and 10 days after Schumacher’s final grand prix triumph in China.
Hamilton also moved 69 points clear of Bottas, who retired from the race with an engine failure, in his quest for a record-equalling seventh world championship. 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 to keep the six-timeworldchampionatbay throughtheopeningtwobends it looked as though Hamilton’s drive into the history books would be put on hold.
But, with just 13 of the 60 lapsontheboard,Bottaslocked his front-right tyre under braking for the first corner, allowing Hamilton to sweep around the outside of the Finn at the following left-hander.
Five laps later, Bottas was forced to park his Mercedes
with an engine failure and despite Verstappen again outperforming his Red Bull machinery to keep Hamilton on his toes, and a safety car deployed with only 15 laps to run, it proved to be a straightfor
ward triumph for the Stevenage-born racer.
The historic win is even more poignant for Hamilton, withSchumacher’shometown of Kerpen 52 miles north of the Nurburgring. Little is known of the 51-year-old following his skiing accident on the French Alps almost eight years ago.
Hamilton was presented with one of Schumacher’s helmets by the German’s son Mick in the moments after the race.
The Mercedes driver held the red helmet aloft with his right arm as an applause rang out among the 13,500 spectators here at a venue where Schumacher won on five occasions.
“I don’t know what to say,” said Hamilton. “I remember seeing Michael’s dominance and I don’t think anyone, especially me, could imagine I would get anywhere near him in terms of his record.”