Share

Get in there, Lewis! Hamilton wins Portuguese GP, rewriting F1's record books

accreditation
Lewis Hamilton (Jose Sena Goulao / Getty Images)
Lewis Hamilton (Jose Sena Goulao / Getty Images)
Jose Sena Goulao

• Lewis Hamilton wins 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix.

• The win is the 92nd of his career.

• Hamilton's Mercedes team mate finished in second place.

For more motoring stories, go to www.Wheels24.co.za

Lewis Hamilton rewrote Formula 1's history books today after taking victory at the Portuguese Grand Prix. The win not only saw him increase his lead at the top of the championship table but was also the 92nd of his career.

Coming into the race, Hamilton was tied with Schumacher on 91 F1 victories, but has made the record his own. He also extended the record for the most number of pole positions when he took the 97th pole of his career in qualifying.

Hamilton won the race ahead of Mercedes-AMG team mate Valtteri Bottas and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

An epic start

Hamilton got a good start at the start of the race, but was quickly toppled by Bottas halfway through the first lap. The action didn't stop there as McLaren's Carlos Sainz Jr. torpedoed through the field from seventh. At the end of the first lap, Sainz was leading the race from Bottas, who passed Hamilton just moments before.

Sainz opted to start the race on the Soft tyre, while the two Mercedes men went for the Medium tyre. It ensured plenty of action over the first few laps, but Sainz quickly dropped down the order after taking too much life out of his tyres too quickly. In the meantime, Bottas and Hamilton's tyres switched on, which allowed them to pass Sainz again mere laps later.

WRAP: 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix - Hamilton wins in empathic fashion

Hamilton soon found a rhythm and went about chasing down Bottas. It didn't take too long for him to be right on Bottas' gearbox and passing him for the lead of the race. Bottas, meanwhile, struggled with low grip levels on his tyres and had to settle for second place throughout the race.

In the end, Hamilton won the 92nd race of his career, surpassing the record held by Michael Schumacher since 2006.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE