Lewis Hamilton on Sunday was hailed as “the greatest driver of the era” after securing a record-equaling seventh Formula One world title by winning the Turkish Grand Prix.
After a momentous drive from sixth on the grid in wet and treacherous conditions, the Briton matched Michael Schumacher’s haul of drivers’ crowns with three races of the season remaining.
The 35-year-old sealed his latest title 12 years after his first with a typically measured masterclass, handling the slippy early conditions to claim his 94th career win.
Photo: AFP
It was widely declared one of his finest triumphs and entirely appropriate on the day he drew alongside the German in the record books.
“That’s for all the kids out there that believe in the impossible,” an emotional Hamilton said on Mercedes’ team radio. “You can do it.”
Later he said that he still had the hunger for more titles, and paid tribute to his team and fans after a season in which he led his sport in supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.
“I feel like I’m only just getting started. Physically, I’m in great shape, and mentally this year has been really hard for millions of people and it’s no different for us athletes,” he said. “This has been a challenge that I didn’t know how to get through, but with the help of Team LH I managed to get through.”
Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, who was third, hailed Hamilton for his achievement.
“He is the greatest of our era for sure,” the German said. “To me certainly, emotionally, Michael [Schumacher] will always be the greatest driver, but there’s no doubt Lewis is the greatest in terms of what he has achieved. He’s equaled the championships, he has more races won, he has a lot more pole positions. I think he’s done everything you can ask for.”
Hamilton, who sealed his first title in 2008, added to his unprecedented roster of records — most wins (94), most pole positions (97), most podium finishes (163) and most consecutive points finishes (47).
“We dreamed of this when I was young,” Hamilton said. “I remember watching Michael [Schumacher] 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.”
He lapped his teammate and only remaining title rival Valtteri Bottas, who finished 14th after a desultory outing, to claim his 10th victory in 14 races of a season delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hamilton came home over half a minute clear of Racing Point’s Sergio Perez. Both chose to make only one pit stop and spent most of the race on a single set of intermediate tires as their rivals pitted several times to cope with the slippery conditions.
Vettel was third with his best finish of the season ahead of Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz of McLaren and, after a wild and impulsive afternoon, Max Verstappen in the leading Red Bull.
Alex Albon came home seventh in the second Red Bull ahead of Lando Norris in the second McLaren, Lance Stroll, who had started from his maiden pole position for Racing Point, and Daniel Ricciardo of Renault.
The win gave Hamilton an unassailable lead over 31-year-old Bottas, with two races in Bahrain and the season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to come.
“Lewis deserves it fully — he is the best of all of us this year and he really deserves it, so it’s great for him,” Bottas said. “So I will have to try to beat him next year.”
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB