No slowing down for record-breaking Hamilton

Formula One F1 - Emilia Romagna Grand Prix - Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola, Italy - November 1, 2020 Race winner Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton during the press conference after the race

MANAMA (Reuters): Lewis Hamilton heads into Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix as the most successful driver in Formula One history, and now a seven times world champion, but the Briton will not be slowing down as he aims to round out a record-breaking season in style.

The Mercedes driver clinched the title at the previous race in Turkey to equal Michael Schumacher’s record seven, having already surpassed the Ferrari great’s tally of 91 race wins.

With three races to go and 10 wins from 14, Hamilton is on course for his most successful campaign yet and can become only the third driver after Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel to win 13 times in a season.

“Now it’s a bit more chilled but I still have three races ahead of me that I want to win,” said Hamilton, who has not previously won more than 11 races in a single year.

Hamilton has won three times around the 5.4 km Sakhir desert track, including last year after a loss of power robbed Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc of an almost certain victory.

With Mercedes dominant, the Briton is favourite again but team mate Valtteri Bottas will be out to stop him.

Bahrain marks the start of a whirlwind floodlit Middle Eastern triple-header that wraps up the season.

A second race, the Sakhir Grand Prix, follows at the same venue but around the shorter outer circuit a week later before the finale at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina.