Lewis Hamilton Wins Turkish GP, Claims Seventh Career FIA Formula One Drivers' Championship

  

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 today - who spun six times en route to a P14 finish.

Behind Hamilton, a dramatic last lap saw Sergio Perez overtaken by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc for P2, only for Leclerc to overcook it at Turn 12, with Perez retaking second as Vettel made it through on his team mate to claim a first podium of the season.

Leclerc was left to cross the line P4 ahead of the McLaren of Carlos Sainz, while a spin-filled afternoon for the Red Bull pair left Max Verstappen and Alex Albon P6 and P7 at the flag, ahead of the second McLaren of Lando Norris.

Norris had claimed that place after a late pass on the second Racing Point of Lance Stroll, who'd secured a brilliant maiden pole position and Saturday and led much of the early part of the Grand Prix, only for his race to unravel after a difficult third stint on intermediate tires. That left him ninth at the flag, as Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo completed the podium.

For all that though, all eyes were on Hamilton, who was in tears as he was congratulated on his slow-down lap, after well and truly cementing himself into Formula 1's record books.

"I know often we, or I say, it’s beyond my wildest dreams, but I think my whole life I secretly have dreamt as high as this," said Hamilton. "But it always felt so farfetched. I remember Michael winning those championships, and all of us drivers here are doing the best job we can, and just to get one, two or three is so hard to get. So, to get seven, is just unimaginable. But when you work with such a great group of people, and you communicate, and trust one another and listen to one another, there is just no end to what we can do together, this team and I together. And I’m so proud of what we’ve done. And them trusting me out there today like they did, that comes with experience. This year has been so tough… I haven’t gone out, I haven’t gone for dinner, I’ve just stayed in my bubble. Getting room service every day, and not really anything exciting and that’s naturally because I‘ve got a championship to fight for. I think this year I’ve sacrificed more than ever before in my whole life. That’s made it quite difficult. Making memories like this, I want to wait until I can be around my family, be around all my friends, because I want to share it with them. I feel so proud of this race today. I was thinking about moments when it went wrong before, like China 2007 when I lost the championship on worn tires in the pit lane. All these things I’ve learned along the way, I was able to apply today, and that’s why you saw the result and the gap you did today."