Finishing the Portuguese Grand Prix about 25 seconds ahead of his Mercedes teammate, Hamilton recorded his 92nd victory to pass Michael Schumacher on the career list.
After growing up watching Michael Schumacher’s triumphs on television, Lewis Hamilton now stands above him and alone in Formula One history with 92 victories. Hamilton’s win at the Portuguese Grand Prix on Sunday also edged him closer to a seventh Formula One title, the last of Schumacher’s major records left for Hamilton to pursue. “I could only ever have dreamed of being where I am today,” Hamilton said. “It’s going to take some time to fully sink in. I can’t find the words at the moment.” On a rainy track in Portugal, he finished about 25 seconds ahead of his Mercedes AMG Petronas teammate, Valtteri Bottas, and 34.5 seconds clear of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen for his eighth win of another dominant season. He also took an extra point for the fastest lap to extend his huge championship lead to 77 points over Bottas with five races remaining. The only person to get close to him was his father, with whom he shared a long hug after the race. Hamilton won his first race in 2007 and claimed his first title the following year. But his career really took off when he replaced the retired Schumacher at Mercedes in 2013.
