Lewis Hamilton will look to claim a record-equalling seventh drivers’ title when the 2020 Formula One World Championship heads to Turkey for Round 14 at the Intercity Istanbul Park circuit on Sunday 15 November.
The Mercedes driver racked up a ninth win of the season (a third in a row and a record-extending 93rd overall in his career) when he took the chequered flag at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola earlier this month.
The result left Hamilton 85 points clear of nearest chaser and Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas at the top of the drivers’ standings. With a maximum of 104 points left to play for in the season, the British racer need only finish ahead of Bottas to seal the title.
This would see him join the legendary Michael Schumacher on seven drivers’ championships – the only mark Hamilton doesn’t already have the all-time record for in the sport of F1.
Hamilton insists he isn’t thinking of the records and dropped something of a bombshell when claiming there is no guarantee he will be part of the grid in 2021: “I feel great and still very strong… but you mentioned about Toto [Wolff, Mercedes team boss] and shelf-life and there’s multiple things that do stay on the top of my mind.
“I would like to be here next year but there’s no guarantee of that, for sure. There’s a lot that excites me of the after life (after racing), so time will tell.”
Turkish Grand Prix stats
– First held: 2005
– Most wins (driver): Felipe Massa, 3
– Most wins (manufacturer): Ferrari, 3
– Circuit length: 5.338km
– Race length: 309.396km, 58 laps
– Lap record: 1:29.703, Mark Webber, Red Bull, 2011
F1 drivers’ championship
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 282 points
2. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 197
3. Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 162
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Renault, 95
5. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 85
F1 manufacturers’ championship
1. Mercedes, 479 points
2. Red Bull, 226
3. Renault, 135
4. McLaren, 134
5. Racing Point, 134