Lewis Hamilton can match Michael Schumacher’s record seven world championships and overtake the former Ferrari great as the most successful
Formula One driver of all time in Turkey on Sunday (1.10pm).
The Mercedes ace, who has a record 93 race wins, will be champion again at the Istanbul Park circuit if his teammate and sole title rival Valtteri Bottas fails to score eight points more.
The 35-year-old Briton leads Bottas by 85 points, with 78 remaining to be won after Turkey when the season heads to the Middle East for a closing triple header in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi.
That means a second place would be enough even if Bottas wins, providing the Finn does not also take the bonus point for fastest lap.
At its simplest, Hamilton just has to beat Bottas – something he has done 10 times in 13 races so far this year.
Hamilton, who already holds records for most pole positions, podiums and points finishes, has only twice finished out of the top three in 2020 with a worst result of seventh.
He is on a record run of 46 successive scoring finishes.