F1 2020: Hamilton wins Eifel GP to equal Schumacher’s record

Lewis Hamilton secured his 91^st F1 career victory at the Eifel GP to equal Michael Schumacher’s all-time record for the most race wins in F1. Max Verstappen followed him across the line in 2^nd place, while Valtteri Bottas’ early retirement allowed Daniel Ricciardo to secure 3^rd place.

• Hamilton wins, 4.470 secs ahead of Verstappen
• Ricciardo hands Renault its first podium since F1 return
• Hulkenberg goes from 20^th to 8^th on cameo appearance

Hamilton matches Schumacher’s record

The chilly conditions at the Nurburgring, with the air temperature remaining in the range of 8-10C throughout the race, set the drivers up for massive challenge. Despite making a blistering getaway, Hamilton was unable to steal the lead from his Mercedes teammate Bottas.

Unfortunately for Bottas, the race went downhill for him soon after. He lost the lead to Hamilton on lap 13 after running wide at Turn 1, only to then retire as a result of a power unit issue. From there on, Hamilton survived a safety car re-start and enjoyed a relatively unchallenged run to victory.

With this, Hamilton has achieved a feat that many thought would be unassailable – that of matching Michael Schumacher’s record for the most wins in F1. The British driver has been steadily re-writing the F1 record books. With a seventh championship win within grasp, he’s well on his way to equal Schumacher’s record for the most F1 world titles as well.

After the race, Hamilton was presented with one of Schumacher’s helmets by the seven-time F1 world champion’s son, and current F2 leader, Mick Schumacher. The gravity of just what he had achieved was not lost on Hamilton.

“I don’t think anyone and especially me, didn’t imagine that I’d be anywhere near Michael in terms of records so it’s an incredible honour and going to take some time to get used to. A big, big thank you and huge respect to Michael,” he said.

An incredible moment on a very special day ❤️ #EifelGP pic.twitter.com/iupG5N3k9J

— Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) October 11, 2020

Renault’s first podium since F1 return

Red Bull Racing showed marked improvement in performance at the Nurburgring. But Verstappen was unable to really match Hamilton’s pace and had to settle for 2^nd place. He did, however, bag an additional point for setting the fastest lap.

Meanwhile, Bottas’ retirement opened up a spot on the podium, with Ricciardo and Racing Point’s Sergio Perez being the main contenders vying for that spot. Ultimately, Ricciardo was able to hold off Perez to finish 3^rd and take his first podium finish since the 2018 Monaco GP. This also hands Renault their first podium result since they returned to F1 in 2016. As part of a larger restructuring within the Renault Group, the team will be rebranded as Alpine from next year.

“It’s been a while. To be honest, it feels like the first podium all over again. We’ve all waited a long time for this, so we’re going to soak it up,” beamed Ricciardo after the race.

McLaren’s Carlos Sainz finished 5^th, while AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly pulled off a late pass of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to take 6^th place.

Hulkenberg goes from last to 8^th at Eifel GP

It was a whirlwind of a weekend for Nico Hulkenberg. On Saturday morning, the German didn’t even know he would be racing this weekend and mere hours later he was drafted in as a last-minute replacement for an ill Lance Stroll.

With no time to fit in even a single practice lap, it was understandable that he slotted his Racing Point car in last place in qualifying. But he pulled off an incredible drive in the race to go from 20^th to 8^th place.

Haas’ Romain Grosjean secured his first points finish this year with a 9^th place result, while Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi fended off Sebastian Vettel to round out the top 10.

Overall, the Eifel GP proved to be an attrition-heavy race. Along with Bottas, Red Bull Racing’s Alexander Albon, McLaren’s Lando Norris and Renault’s Esteban Ocon all suffered mechanical failures. Williams’ George Russell was another driver who didn’t complete the race after he was taken out by Kimi Raikkonen at Turn 1.

F1 2020 drivers’ championship standings

Hamilton has cemented his lead in the F1 2020 championship with his Eifel GP win. He now leads by 69 points from Bottas.

Bottas has taken a big hit due to his retirement and is now just 14 points ahead of Verstappen. Meanwhile, Ricciardo has leapfrogged to 4^th place overall, but he’s yet a hefty 69 points behind Verstappen.

The F1 paddock will now head to an all-new track, Portimao, for the Portuguese GP on October 23-25. You can head here to check out the full F1 2020 calendar.

2020 Eifel GP results