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Paris, July 22 (BUS): Lewis Hamilton enters his 300th Formula 1 race at the French Grand Prix this weekend in the unfamiliar position of chasing his first win of the season.
The seven-time world champion holds the F1 record with 103 victories and 103 poles, but the 37-year-old Briton also shares two records with fellow great Michael Schumacher: seven world titles and won at least one race in 15 consecutive seasons. Schumacher won every year from his Formula One debut in 1992 until 2006, while Hamilton has won one every year since his debut in the 2007 series.
But Hamilton did not win the first 12 races of the season. He is little by little getting closer to the top of the podium after three consecutive podium finishes since Mercedes resolved the persistent rebound issues. The Associated Press (AP) reports that Formula 1 races Sunday at the French Grand Prix.
“It was really positive to have some consistency. We are constantly adding performance, constantly progressing and there is a lot to come,” Hamilton said. “In the last race (in Austria) we were only a few tenths (of a second) behind in qualifying. .”
As for the highlights of his illustrious career, Hamilton picked his first Formula One victory in 2007, his first title in 2008, and beat his home circuit at Silverstone.
“Achieving your dream is a very surreal experience and it will always be your first,” said Hamilton. “The amount of nights we stayed up as a family we all spent, not knowing whether or not we would actually reach our goal, reach our dream, but never give up.”
There have been intense competitions, including last season when Red Bull star Max Verstappen snatched the title at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that ended the controversial season. Hamilton also suffered a bitter defeat to Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg in 2016 and some wrangling with Fernando Alonso in 2007 with McLaren.
When he faced Hamilton Alonso, the Spaniard had already won two Formula One titles. Alonso calls his toughest rival “Out of net speed, I always say it’s Fernando.
“We had some good fights, I hope we get some more,” said Hamilton. “I remember the mission to be alongside Fernando when I was 22. I was very young mentally and of course, OK in terms of skill, but there is a lot of pressure to face a great team.”
Alonso agreed.
“He was a formidable driver and a legend. At that time no one probably thought that someone would be able to win seven titles like Michael,” said Alonso. “Congratulations for the 300 race and hopefully another win soon.”
Hamilton sat in his first practice on Friday at the French Grand Prix as Mercedes used test and reserve driver Nick de Vries in the car. De Vries finished in ninth place. Hamilton finished fifth in fifth behind his Mercedes teammate George Russell in second practice.
Ferrari topped both operations. Charles Leclerc led the first practice ahead of Verstappen and his Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz Jr, then Sainz was the fastest in the second practice ahead of Leclerc and Verstappen.
Sainz’s engine caught fire near the end of the last race in Austria two weeks ago, forcing his fourth DNF of the season. Sainz received a 10-place penalty because Ferrari changed the power unit this weekend.
Ferrari is seeking its third win in a row after Sainz’s victory over Silverstone and Leclerc’s attempt to win in Austria.
It was Leclerc’s third win in 2022 and he finished a five-race streak without finishing on the podium which coupled with frustrating team orders.
“It feels good, I have a much better feeling than I had in Austria. We just need to maintain focus, this level of performance,” said Leclerc. “We have been very strong for a very long time now but unfortunately we have had a lot of problems. But I’m confident we can be fast this weekend.”
Leclerc’s win reduced Verstappen’s championship to 38 points.
Mick Schumacher swings after 31 races without scoring a single point. He is now heading into Sunday looking to finish three points in a row.
The 23-year-old German feels the pressure has lifted amid a tough season. He was criticized by Haas team boss Guenter Steiner after the May accident in Monaco, then finished 14th in Azerbaijan and another DNF in Canada.
Suddenly he was facing questions about his future in F1.
But Michael Schumacher’s son responded by finishing eighth at Silverstone to score the first points in his career, and then finishing sixth two weeks ago in Austria to collect back-to-back points. He showed increasing confidence in both races and went at the wheel with world champions Verstappen and Hamilton.
Schumacher feels more comfortable in the car than he did earlier in the season.
“It’s just a matter of aligning with what we’re doing. I think we always pretty much always start with a good setup,” Schumacher said.
Four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel, a family friend, was driving behind Schumacher at Silverstone and cheered him on from inside his car.
“I think Mick is on the right track… It’s great that he has shown what he can do,” Vettel said. “
Vettel appears keen to extend his stay at Aston Martin.
His contract expires at the end of the year, and with a growing commitment to environmental issues coming to his senses, observers have questioned whether he will continue.
“I think there is a clear intention to continue and we will soon see what we stand on,” Vettel said. “I’m talking to the team.”
The 35-year-old German driver took the best sixth position in Azerbaijan.
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