Lewis Hamilton equals Schumacher's seven world drivers championships

 A stunning drive from Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in the Turkish Grand Prix gave him his 10th victory of the season – and, more crucially, saw him claim the seventh drivers’ title of his career, to equal the record of Michael Schumacher, as Racing Point’s Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel completed the podium after a thrilling race in Istanbul.

Hamilton had started the race in sixth, risen to third midway through the first lap, and then dropped back to sixth by the end of Lap 1 after an error at Turn 9. But a decision to change his intermediate tires just once saw Hamilton drive a masterful race to claim victory by over 25 seconds from Perez.

The win alone was enough to claim championship #7, but it was even more assured after a disastrous race for Valtteri Bottas - the only man who could have stopped Hamilton winning the title - who spun six times en route to a P14 finish.

Having surpassed Schumacher for the most wins in history earlier this year, and now equaled the great German’s record championship haul, the debate around the greatest of all time will no doubt be debated for years to come. But there was no doubt about what re-writing the record books once more meant to Hamilton.

“I know often I say ‘it’s beyond my wildest dreams’ but I think my whole life, secretly, I probably have dreamt as high as this, you know, but it felt so far-fetched. I remember watching Michael winning those championships and you know we all here, all us drivers, are always doing the best job we can and just to get one, two or even three [titles], you know it’s so hard to get.

“Seven is kind of unimaginable. When you work with such a great group of people and you really communicate and trust one another and listen to one another, there was just no end to what we could do together, I and this team and I’m so proud of the work that was done and them trusting me today, you know. That comes with experience.

“I think it’s so important for kids out there to hopefully see this and know don’t listen to anyway who says you can’t achieve something,” he added. “Dream the impossible and speak it into existence. You have to work for it, you have to chase it and never give up, and never doubt yourself.”

The only question now is how far Hamilton will raise the bar before he eventually hangs up his helmet.