Two days after clinching a seventh Formula 1 title that tied him for the most all time with Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton took to Twitter to express gratitude in a message to his fans that sent positivity in uncertain times.
Hamilton needed only to finish ahead of teammate Valterri Bottas in a wet and slippery Turkish Grand Prix to secure his championship. He won after taking the lead 22 laps from the end while Bottas struggled and finished a lap off the pace in 14th.
The skies were still gray two days later as Hamilton reflected on his milestone.
“Hi, world,” Hamilton said in a video. “It’s a gray but beautiful morning. Raining. You can hear the sea. I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge time and the blessing of being given another day of life. And to acknowledge you all. To send you positivity.”
In addition to tying Schumacher’s record for championships, Sunday’s win in Turkey extended his career total to 94 victories. It was his fourth consecutive in a streak that began by tying Schumacher’s former record of 91 career wins at Nurburgring. With three races remaining in the season, it is likely Hamilton, who has 10 victories this season, will build on the record.
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Standing on one of many pinnacles of his career, Hamilton was nevertheless aware of the valleys that lay below.
Hamilton’s win comes during a challenging year that has seen a global disruption because of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Turkish Grand Prix was the first in F1 since 2011 and wasn’t on the original schedule. His championship also came as temperatures across the Northern Hemisphere begin to plummet with winter taking hold.
“I just feel so happy right now,” Hamilton said. “I know there are a lot of people out there that are struggling during these times with so many different things: health, the mind state.
“And I just wanted to tell you that it’s OK, and that you’re not alone in this world. There are people thinking of you. There are ways out. There are ways around it, and things will get better. So I just wanted to encourage you to stay positive. Send you love and positivity and keep you focused on having a good week.”
Thank you all for every bit of support you’ve given me, I’m so grateful🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/UFLyZXgfl4
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) November 17, 2020