Turkish Grand Prix: Hamilton one victory away from 7th world championship title
If Lewis Hamilton's crowning seems evident given how he has dominated the competition since the beginning of the season, the British driver could be officially crowned at the end of the Turkish Grand Prix. While a victory would secure him the 7th title, a second place might not be enough and the crowning could be postponed.
Lewis Hamilton is getting closer to the seventh crown, equaling the record number of Formula 1 World Championships held by Michael Schumacher.
Mathematically, Lewis Hamilton has a comfortable lead of 85 points over the only theoretically remaining contender in the championship race, Valtteri Bottas. With three races remaining in the season and a maximum of 26 points available per Grand Prix, the Briton will need to leave Istanbul with a minimum gap of 78 points over the Finnish driver.
If a victory for Hamilton at the Turkish Grand Prix would end Bottas’s slim hopes, a second place could keep the competition alive until the next race weekend if his teammate were to snatch the extra point for the fastest lap in the race.
For a better understanding of the stakes of the Turkish Grand Prix in the championship title race, here are the scenarios in which Hamilton would be crowned the 2020 champion:
• Hamilton wins the race;
Hamilton finishes in a better position than Bottas;
• Hamilton finishes 2nd and Bottas does not achieve the fastest lap in the race;
• Hamilton finishes 4th and Bottas takes 2nd place;
• Hamilton finishes 6th and Bottas is on the 3rd step of the podium or higher;
• Hamilton finishes in 10th place and Bottas is classified in 6th place;
Hamilton could be crowned champion even with a retirement or a race outside the points if Bottas finishes beyond 6th place.
These scenarios can also be facilitated if Hamilton, even with a race outside the podium and in the points, were to achieve the fastest lap.
With all these possibilities offered to the six-time world champion and given his season and current form, it’s fair to say that a delay in the title seems like a miracle. Will this Turkish Grand Prix hold surprises for us? To follow the Grand Prix, here is the TV Program.
