Formula 1 Managing Director Ross Brawn believes Lewis Hamilton’s drive at the Turkish Grand Prix was a “perfect demonstration” of the now seven-time World Champion’s abilities.
After struggling in qualifying and the early phase of the race, Hamilton managed to take the lead as his pace progressed throughout the grand prix.
At the chequered flag, the Mercedes driver had an advantage of over 30 seconds to the rest of the field, taking his 10th victory of the 2020 season as well as a record-equalling seventh Drivers’ Championship, a feat he now shares with Michael Schumacher.
Writing in his post-race column, Brawn said: “Massive congratulations to Lewis. He showed why he is such an exceptional talent.
“I’m always engaged by the running commentary from Lewis during the race on team radio, suggesting things aren’t going well, which is always entertaining – but he always delivers.
“In Turkey, despite his Mercedes team struggling for pace all weekend on a slippery surface in cold conditions, he stayed patient in the race, strategized and pushed when needed to.
“He got the tyres working when no one else could. It was the perfect demonstration of what he is – a seven-time world champion, equalling Michael’s record.”
Having worked with Schumacher at Ferrari during the German’s successful years in the early 2000s and then for one year with Hamilton at Mercedes in 2013, Brawn says he’s “fortunate” to have spent time with F1’s two most successful drivers.
“It’s the kind of dominance that in most people’s motorsport career, you only see once,” Brawn said.
“I’ve been blessed to see it twice. I have been fortunate to work with both Lewis and Michael. They are different characters, which is wonderful as you don’t want metronomic characters in F1.
“Lewis is different to Michael in the way they approach things. At the core of it, they both have a God given talent.
“Sunday wasn’t an easy win. He didn’t put the car on pole and disappear into the distance. It was a challenging weekend for him, regarding the weather, the conditions and the track.
“Clearly, it didn’t initially suit Mercedes but they got they head down and thought about it. He came from further down the grid today.
“He wins when he’s not given any opposition and he wins when he is given a big challenge. Right now, he’s at the pinnacle of his career. And I don’t know where his form will start to tail off.”
