In a year that has seen Lewis Hamilton break many all-time Formula 1 records once held by Michael Schumacher, he could break another in the season finale this weekend.
The 2020 Formula 1 season has been characterized by Lewis Hamilton tying and/or breaking many records which were held by the legendary Michael Schumacher entering the year.
Hamilton broke Schumacher’s wins record of 91 and hasn’t lost since, as he has now won 95 times throughout his career. He also broke Schumacher’s podium record of 155 and has now recorded 164 podium finishes throughout his career.
With 11 wins this season, he is also up to 74 wins with Mercedes. Schumacher had held the all-time record for the most wins with a single constructor with 72 for Ferrari.
He also won the Hungarian Grand Prix for the eighth time at the Hungaroring, tying Schumacher’s record of eight wins in a single race. Schumacher won the French Grand Prix eight times.
But Hamilton’s string of matching or surpassing Schumacher in the Formula 1 history books likely isn’t over yet in 2020 with two races remaining.
Hamilton led all but one of the 57 laps in his most recent start two Sundays ago around the 15-turn, 3.363-mile (5.412-kilometer) Bahrain International Circuit road course in Sakhir, Bahrain, giving him a career-high total of 613 laps led this season, despite the fact that it is a shortened season that has seen only 15 races run thus far. Only 982 laps have been completed so far in 2020.
He has now led 5,099 laps of the 15,561 laps he has completed throughout his career.
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Schumacher holds the record with 5,111 of 16,824 laps led.
After missing this past Sunday’s Sakhir Grand Prix due to testing positive for COVID-19, Hamilton needs to lead 12 laps of this Sunday’s 55-lap race around the the 21-turn, 3.451-mile (5.554-kilometer) Yas Marina Circuit road course on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates to tie Schumacher’s record and at least 13 to break it. Hamilton has led at least 15 laps in 13 of his last 14 starts after failing to lead any laps in the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, so this record will likely be his before the race ends.
He led all 55 laps of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last year en route to his fifth victory in the race, and he has led at least 13 laps in seven of his 11 starts at Yas Marina Circuit.
This race is set to be broadcast live on ESPN beginning at 8:10 a.m. ET this Sunday, December 13.
A podium finish in this race would also be Hamilton’s 116th with Mercedes, which would tie Schumacher’s all-time record for podium finishes with a single constructor.