Lewis Hamilton set a new record for the most podium finishes in Formula One history, after securing his 156th podium finish in Formula 1 by winning the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, breaking Michael Schumacher’s record.
The reigning world champion led the race on Sunday and finished a dominant 24 seconds ahead of second-placed Max Verstappen. Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas was 44 seconds behind in third, with the rest of the field lapped by Hamilton.
The 35-year-old British racer had tied Schumacher’s mark of 155 with a runner-up finish at last week’s Anniversary GP, but is now on 156 after he achieved one of the largest victories of his career at Barcelona.
His 156 podiums come from 256 appearances, a stunning ratio of 61 percent. Schumacher achieved 155 podiums in 306 starts across two stints in F1.
“I was just in a daze, I felt really good out there today,” Hamilton told Sky Sports after his fourth win in six races during this unusual 2020 F1 season.
“We had this problem with the tyres, and an understanding of what happened last week enabled us to get that result today – the strategy we had was just right.
“I didn’t even realise what lap it was – I was ready to keep going!
“Finally, thank you to everyone back in the factory at this very difficult time.
The most podium’s in @f1 ? I can’t even begin to describe how this feels. Thank you all for your love and positivity. I want to thank everyone back at the factory, I’m so proud to be a part of this team and I hope you’re all doing well and staying safe. #StillWeRise pic.twitter.com/iY7Wc2RP21
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) August 16, 2020