Lewis Hamilton emerged champion at the Turkish Grand Prix on Sunday to take his World Championship tally to seven, becoming the most successful racing driver in history.
The 35-year-old Mercedes driver has now equalled Michael Schumacher‘s 16-year record in terms of titles won, having already leapfrogged the German’s number of races won last month.
Winning at a brutally wet and slippery Turkish track was not the most ideal condition he must have hoped for, but the Briton did enough to see off the challenge and emerge with his 94th race win.
Watch the race highlights below…
“To all the kids out there, dream the impossible,” said an emotional Hamilton while still in his car after the race, as he was cheered by his Mercedes team.
“Seven is just unimaginable but when you work with such a great group of people and you really trust each other, there is just no end to what you can do together. I feel like I’m only just getting started, it’s really weird,” he added after coming out of his car.
He continued: “It felt so farfetched. I remember watching Michael win those world championships. To get one or two or even three is so hard. Seven is unimaginable. There is no end to what we can do together, me and this team. We dreamed of this when I was young. It is so important for kids to see this and don’t listen to anyone who says you can’t achieve something. Dream the impossible. You have got to chase it and never give up.”
Bearing in mind he still hasn’t signed a contract for next year, Hamilton reiterated his desire to remain in Formula 1 and continue his human rights activism and campaign for diversity and environmentalism.
Reactions after the Race
Sebastian Vettel: “It was quite intense but good fun. I had a really good opening lap, I found myself already in P4. It is a bit of a surprise to snatch the podium but I am certainly very happy.”
Sergio Perez: “I told my team on the radio: ‘One more lap on those tyres, I think they will have exploded.’ The vibrations were really bad towards the end. But I think it also made our race. Looking after them towards the beginning and towards the end, with drying conditions, I think the team did a fantastic job with the strategy in the race.”
Hamilton’s victory in Istanbul means this season’s title has been wrapped up with three races still to go before the end of the season – two in Bahrain in a fortnight and then a season-ending finale in Abu Dhabi in December.
The GREATEST
Wow what an achievement,congratulations