Lewis Hamilton becomes F1’s all-time winner, breaks Michael Schumacher’s mark

Associated PressOct 25, 2020, 10:45 AM EDT
Jose Sena Goulao - Pool/Getty Images
1 Comment

Lewis Hamilton became the all-time winner in Formula One, scoring his 92nd victory Sunday to surpass a record by seven-time champion Michael Schumacher that once seemed untouchable.

For the 97th time in his F1 career, Hamilton started on the pole position at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. The Mercedes-AMG Petronas driver fell to third place behind teammate Valtteri Bottas and Carlos Sainz in the opening laps, but he rebounded to take the lead from Bottas on Lap 20 of 66 and controlled the second half of the race.

Bottas finished second, followed by Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly, who outbattled Sergio Perez for fifth in the closing laps. After leading the first five laps over the Mercedes drivers (his first laps led in 114 F1 starts), Sainz was sixth as Perez dropped to seventh (concluding an eventful race in which the Racing Point driver collided with Verstappen on the first lap).

“Wow, guys,” Hamilton, who overcame a leg cramp late in the race, said on the team radio. “I couldn’t have done this without all of you. Thank you so much for continuing to believe in me and strive for perfection.”

Joined by his father and stepmother for the victory celebration, Hamilton was cheered by a socially distanced crowd at the track, which marked the 28th F1 circuit where the series’ first Black champion has won. It was Hamilton’s eighth victory in 12 races this season.

DAYTONA INVITE: Bubba Wallace would like to see Lewis Hamilton next season

“The guys at the factory continue innovating and pushing the bar higher,” Hamilton said. “They just keep pushing. The reliability has been incredible. No one’s sitting back on success. Everyone is pushing, pushing and pushing. That’s the most incredible thing to be surrounded by because it inspires you. That collaboration, there’s nothing quite like it.

“It’s going to take some time for (the record) to fully sink in. I was still pushing flat out across the line. I’m still in race mode mentally. I can’t find words at the moment.”

Lewis Hamilton celebrates his record-breaking 92nd victory with his father, Anthony, after the F1 Grand Prix of Portugal at Autodromo Internacional do Algarve (Dan Istitene – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images).

He finished more than 25 seconds ahead of Bottas in the largest margin of victory this season.

“I just had no pace today,” Bottas said. “I don’t understand why.”

With a runaway 77-point lead over Bottas and only five races remaining this season, Hamilton, 35, also is poised to tie Schumacher’s championship mark as well this season. He has spoken fondly of growing up as a Schumacher fan.

“I remember sitting at home watching the Grand Prixs and watching Michael win,” Hamilton said. “I remember going upstairs with my brother afterward, and we would play computer games together and I would be Michael. So it’s very, very surreal.”

When Hamilton tied Schumacher with 91 victories at the Eifel GP in Germany two weeks ago, Schumacher’s son, Mick, — who leads the F2 championship — presented a visibly moved Hamilton with one of his father’s racing helmets from his time at Mercedes.

“I was really honored by Michael’s family when they presented me with this helmet,” Hamilton said.

It was Schumacher’s retirement from Mercedes — and F1 itself — which opened the door for Hamilton to make what was then considered a risky move when he left McLaren to join the Silver Arrows in 2013.

“I could only have ever dreamed of being where I am today,” said Hamilton, who is expected to re-sign with the team in the next couple of months. “I didn’t have a magic ball when I chose to come to this team. Here I am and am trying to make the most of it every single day.

“Every single thing, we do it together, and that’s why you see the success we’re having. It’s a very blessed. day.”

Lewis Hamilton celebrates after taking the checkered flag in the No. 44 Mercedes AMG Petronas for his record 92nd victory in Formula One (Peter Fox/Getty Images).

The day belonged to Hamilton, and it appears inevitable that title No. 7 will follow suit. The only marks left then will be 100 victories and a record-setting eighth championship.

His first win came in Canada, 13 years ago, when driving for McLaren, and the team sportingly sent Hamilton a Tweet featuring a bottle of Champagne and the words “You never forget your first.”

Sunday’s race marked the inaugural F1 race at Portugal’s 4.65-kilometer (2.9-mile) circuit known as Portimao.

The undulating track is known for its frequent elevation changes and where overtaking is expected to be difficult. It was the second new race of a season hit by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic after the Tuscan GP at Mugello last month.

Ryan Hunter-Reay hired as replacement for Conor Daly at Ed Carpenter Racing

By Jun 8, 2023, 9:05 AM EDT
Ryan Hunter-Reay Carpenter
Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
0 Comments

Ryan Hunter-Reay was named to replace Conor Daly in Ed Carpenter Racing’s No. 20 Dallara-Chevrolet, starting in the NTT IndyCar Series event next week at Road America.

Hunter-Reay is the 2012 series champion and 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner. He finished 11th for Dreyer & Reinbold last month in the 107th Indy 500, his first start since the 2021 season finale. He drove full time for Andretti Autosport from 2010-21.

“We need to improve our competitiveness and I wanted to add a fresh perspective from a driver like Ryan who has a massive amount of experience and success as well as a reputation as a team leader. I am excited to welcome Ryan to the team,” team owner Ed Carpenter said in a team release. “We have worked together in the past as teammates and he tested for ECR at Barber Motorsports Park in October 2021, where he made an immediate impact as we were able to qualify one of our cars on the pole following that test. I am confident that his experience and technical abilities will be an asset to ECR as we move forward toward our goals as a team.”

Hunter-Reay has 18 IndyCar victories, most recently in 2018. He also is a winner in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, having been a part of winning entries in the 2020 Twelve Hours of Sebring and 2018 Petit Le Mans. Last year, he was an endurance driver for Cadillac Racing while being on standby for Chip Ganassi Racing.

He replaces Daly, whose departure was announced a day earlier in what the driver and team said was a mutual decision.

“I was surprised when I got the call from Ed,” Hunter-Reay said in a team release. “He described how frustrated he was that his team has not been able to realize its potential despite their efforts, investments, as well as technical and personnel changes over the past few years and asked for my help. Ed and I are very close friends and have been for a long time. I’ve worked with the team in the past and they are a very talented group with high expectations and a committed partner in BITNILE.COM.

“This will certainly be a challenge for me as well. It’s a tough situation jumping in a car in the middle of the season without any testing in what I believe to be the most competitive series in the world. Certainly, part of my motivation in saying ‘yes’ to Ed is the great challenge ahead. The last time I turned right driving an NTT IndyCar Series car was in October of 2021 with this team at Barber. However, I remain very confident in both my driving and technical abilities and believe by working with the talented people at ECR and Team Chevy, while representing BITNILE.COM, we will make progress. I am going to do everything I can do to help the team achieve its long-term objectives.”

Said Milton “Todd” Ault, the chairman of sponsor BitNile.com: “It is great for BitNile.com to be aligned with an Indy 500 Winner and an NTT IndyCar Series champion. I have followed Ryan’s career for years and I am confident he will challenge the entire ECR team to perform at higher levels. I wish everyone luck at Road America.”