How many of these all-time landmarks will fall his way this year?
Sunday 12 July 2020 07:32, UK
Lewis Hamilton's first pole position of the new F1 season has given him the perfect chance to properly ignite his challenge for this year's world championship in Sunday's Styrian GP.
The scintillating performance means Hamilton has extended his own record tallies for pole positions (89) and front-row starts (146).
But there are some even bigger landmarks potentially on the horizon for the six-time world champion this year...
Michael Schumacher - 7
Lewis Hamilton - 6
The big one. Sixteen years after Michael Schumacher claimed the final drivers' title of his career, Lewis Hamilton can draw level with the German great by the end of this season.
Hamilton won his first title aged 23 with McLaren in 2008 and has gone on to add five in the last six seasons with Mercedes - including the last three in succession. But he is already playing catch-up in this year's standings after team-mate Valtteri Bottas won the opening round.
Michael Schumacher - 91
Lewis Hamilton - 84
In a normal season of 20-odd races, this would be considered a formality for Hamilton to achieve in 2020 judging by recent history. Now seven wins to equal, eight wins to surpass, will be a little trickier in a season where there may only be 15 grands prix at best - with one round completed without a win for the Englishman already.
Nonetheless, Hamilton has won 51 per cent of the races since the start of 2014 so he could still take the overall record by December.
Michael Schumacher - 155
Lewis Hamilton - 151
This record still appears certain to fall Hamilton's way this season - maybe even inside the condensed campaign's first two months.
The Mercedes driver has secured 17 podiums per year in four of the last five seasons to race up to Schumacher's tally.
Michael Schumacher - 221
Lewis Hamilton - 214
Kimi Raikkonen - 213
If you discount the likelihood that Kimi Raikkonen will achieve nine points finishes in an Alfa Romeo before Hamilton manages eight in a Mercedes, then it will be the latter that surpasses Schumacher's tally first before the season is out.
Hamilton's fourth place at 2020's Austria season-opener, in fact, means he is on a new record run of 34 consecutive points finishes, dating back to July 2018. Should he continue that immaculate sequence, then Hamilton would break the points record at the new Tuscan GP in Mugello on September 13.
