Four-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton says that he doesn’t see himself breaking Michael Schumacher’s all-time championship record.
Lewis Hamilton, 32, just completed his 11th full season of Formula One competition, and in doing so, he secured his fourth career championship in the sport. In fact, his fourth championship was his third in the last four seasons.
As of late, he has been on a roll. Heading into the 2017 season, he had reeled off three straight seasons of 10 or more victories, something that no other driver in Formula One history has ever even done twice in a row.
In fact, only two other drivers aside of Hamilton in the history of the sport have had at least one season during which they won 10 or more races, and both of those drivers pulled of the historic feat in two non-consecutive seasons.
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With 40 wins in the last four seasons, Hamilton has now also set the record for most career victories in a four-race span. His career win total of 62 trails only that of the great Michael Schumacher, who won 91 races in his illustrious Formula One career.
Hamilton’s championship total of four trails just two drivers now, as he is in a 3rd place tie on the all-time titles list with Sebastian Vettel and Alain Prost. The two drivers he trails are Schumacher and Juan Manuel Fangio.
When discussing whether or not he believes he can break Schumacher’s all-time championship record, which is seven, here is what Hamilton had to say, according to F1.com.
"“I can’t see it at the moment. Four more? It’s taken me 10 years to achieve these four… I don’t know – I still don’t currently have that desire to match it. Matching Fangio could be quite cool, and being that I’m going to be here for at least another couple of years, that’s my goal – to at least try to get that.”"
It’s actually taken him 11 seasons, but that is beside the point, as Hamilton made it clear that catching Schumacher is not his goal. Matching Fangio, however, is. Doing so would require the four-time champion to win one more championship, which could happen as early as next season. After all, Hamilton has been on a roll lately, so there is no reason to believe that he will not be able to win his fifth career title in 2018. He is, in fact, the favorite to win the 2018 title.
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Will Lewis Hamilton drive in Formula One long enough to break Michael Schumacher’s all-time record of seven championships in the sport, or will he retire before he is able to do so? He is set to be back for a 12th season of competition in the sport in 2018. That season will start on the 25th of March, a Sunday, with the Australian Grand Prix, a race won this past season by fellow four-time champion Sebastian Vettel.