These are the F1 records Lewis Hamilton will chase this year

File picture: Maxim Shemetov / Reuters.

File picture: Maxim Shemetov / Reuters.

Published Mar 9, 2020

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London - Formula One starts a new season in Australia this weekend with Lewis Hamilton chasing records that some once thought would last a lifetime.

The 91 wins and seven titles of retired Ferrari great Michael Schumacher are firmly in the 35-year-old Mercedes driver's sights now.

How many races will feature in what could be an epic battle of the generations remains uncertain, with the debut of Vietnam and a revived Dutch Grand Prix on the calendar but the coronavirus epidemic forcing the Chinese GP in Shanghai to be called off.

If that cannot be rescheduled, then an unprecedented 22-race championship will be reduced to 21.

The future of the sport will be in the spotlight, with sweeping changes to the technical and sporting rules coming in 2021 but the 10 teams have yet to sign a commercial agreement for the new era.

Six-times world champion Hamilton and his team will take centre stage, hoping for another year of dominance after winning both titles for the past six years and ending up fastest in winter testing.

Hamilton, whose contract with Mercedes runs out at the end of the year with plenty of speculation about his next move, is seven wins short of Schumacher's tally but has averaged 10 a season for the past six years.

While the Briton points to team mate Valtteri Bottas as his biggest rival, he will have to watch out for the 22-year-old talents of Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

These are some of the records Hamilton could chase this year

7 - Titles:

A record held by Ferrari great Michael Schumacher. Also successive constructors' titles. Mercedes have won the last six, a record shared with Ferrari.

8 - Pole positions at the same grand prix:

Hamilton shares the record with Schumacher and the late Ayrton Senna. Another in Australia would be his record ninth at Albert Park.

Also Grand Slams (pole, led every lap and fastest lap). Hamilton needs two more to equal late compatriot Jim Clark's all-time record of eight.

Schumacher holds the record of eight wins at the same grand prix. Hamilton is on seven for Canada and Hungary.

11 - Longest gap between first and last championships: 

Hamilton took this last year (2008-19) from Schumacher (1994-2004) and can stretch it to 12 this season.

13 - Most races won in a single season:

 Schumacher shares this record with Sebastian Vettel; Hamilton's highest tally is 11.

15 - Most consecutive seasons with a win:

This one is Schumacher's but Hamilton has won a race in all of his 13 seasons so far.

17 - races on the podium:

In 2002, Schumacher finished all 17 races on the podium. Hamilton also finished 17 races on the podium last year but out of 21.

19 - Grands Prix won after leading every lap:

Hamilton shares the record with Senna.

33 - Consecutive points finishes:

An ongoing record held by Hamilton, who last failed to score in Austria in 2018.

65 - Front row lockouts:

Ferrari hold this one but Mercedes are on 64.

77 - Most fastest laps:

Schumacher holds the record for most fastest laps and that one looks one of his most secure. Hamilton is second on the list but with 'only' 47.

88 - Pole positions:

A record held by Hamilton, whose 88th was in Abu Dhabi last November. Schumacher had 68.

91 - Race wins:

This record is held by Schumacher. The German's last win was in China in 2006. Hamilton starts the campaign with 84 wins to his credit. He has averaged 10 a season for the past six years.

148 - Most grands prix led:

Hamilton broke Schumacher's record of 142 last year.

155 - Podium finishes:

Another of Schumacher's records that looks destined to fall. Hamilton is on 151.

250 - Most consecutive starts:

A Hamilton record and ongoing.

413 - Record points haul in a single season:

This was set by Hamilton last year. 

Reuters

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