Hamilton wants memory of matching Schumacher’s record to "stick"
Lewis Hamilton is eager to ensure the memory of matching Michael Schumacher's Formula 1 win record at the Nurburgring can "stick" despite his focus on the drivers' championship
Hamilton scored the 91st victory of his F1 career in Sunday's Eifel Grand Prix, drawing level with Schumacher's win tally.
It marked the first time since Belgium 2001 that Schumacher had not stood alone at the top of the win charts, with the German's final victory coming at the 2006 Chinese Grand Prix.
A "humbled" Hamilton received one of Schumacher's race-worn helmets from his final F1 season in 2012 to mark his achievement, presented by the seven-time world champion's son, Mick.
Hamilton, who extended his championship lead to 69 points with main title rival Valtteri Bottas failing to score, admitted after the race that he had not realised he had matched Schumacher's record until he entered the pits following his win, but said he was keen to take full stock of the feat in the coming days.
"I'm definitely going to take this next couple of days to really try to understand, let it marinate," Hamilton said.
"But what I cannot do is drop the ball. I cannot take my eye off the ball for a second. Yes, I have a [points] gap, yes we've got these great wins, but the championship is still to be won.
"The job is not done yet, so training will continue to be an importance, diet will continue to be important, getting the right sleep.
"I don't know what this week will hold. There's still lots of conversations, Zoom calls that I have with Formula 1 in terms of all their plans, I've got lots of [Hamilton] Commission calls that I continue to have every week.
"I'll be back in work mode, but I think it's very important - this moment will pass very quickly and we'll be onto the next thing.
"You know how I've got a bad memory, so I've got to somehow make it stick."
Hamilton's advantage with six races to go this year has put him in a strong position to win a seventh title.
Doing so would see Hamilton match another of Schumacher's records, and make him F1's statistical all-time greatest.
PLUS: Why Hamilton's legacy already outweighs Schumacher's
Asked how it felt to be rewriting the history books with his on-track achievements, Hamilton said it was a hard concept to try and fully understand.
"I think it's really hard to suddenly be rewriting history, that's a very hard idea, for me personally,' Hamilton said.
"I can only speak of my experience. It's really hard to compute that and put that into reality and meaning.
"Of course I've looked at, and I still watch, other people who I call legends in other sports who are chasing historic moments and titles, records that were broken by great legends in the past.
"It's different watching from the outside to being in it.
"But what I can say is that I'm not done yet. I still feel that I'm able to improve. I'm driving at a really good level."
Hamilton "incredibly humbled" to be honoured by Schumacher’s family
McLaren: Norris' F1 Eifel GP engine problem a repeat of Sainz's Spa issue
Foyt changes IndyCar number amid "symbolic references" debacle
AJ Foyt Racing has changed the number of Benjamin Pedersen's 2023 IndyCar entry from #88 to #55, after finding its two cars' numbers held "certain ideological and symbolic references".
Taylor: Reset button will be "worn out" but better than limp mode in Daytona 24
Ricky Taylor has zero worries over the pace of the new Acura ARX-06, but believes the new GTP cars will encounter several sensor issues over the course of the Daytona 24 Hours.
WEC assessing Sebring alternative for US round from 2024
The World Endurance Championship has admitted that it is examining alternatives to Sebring for the US round of the series from 2024.
Wehrlein hails "perfect" Porsche strategy, efficiency en route to Diriyah FE win
Pascal Wehrlein reckoned that Porsche's Diriyah E-Prix strategy and efficiency worked "perfectly" en route to claiming his second Formula E victory.
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? LUKE SMITH asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
What difference did F1's fastest pitstops of 2022 make?
While a quick pitstop can make all the difference to the outcome of a Formula 1 race, most team managers say consistency is more important than pure speed. MATT KEW analyses the fastest pitstops from last season to see which ones – if any – made a genuine impact
When F1 ‘holiday’ races kept drivers busy through the winter
Modern Formula 1 fans have grown accustomed to a lull in racing during winter in the northern hemisphere. But, as MAURICE HAMILTON explains, there was a time when teams headed south of the equator rather than bunkering down in the factory. And why not? There was fun to be had, money to be made and reputations to forge…
What Porsche social media frenzy says about F1’s manufacturer allure
Porsche whipped up a frenzy thanks to a cryptic social media post last week and, although it turned out to be a false alarm, it also highlighted why manufacturers remain such an important element in terms of the attraction that they bring to F1. It is little wonder that several other manufacturers are bidding for a slice of the action
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.