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Friday images from the 2017 Belgian Grand Prix
NEWS

F1: Lewis eyes record result at Spa

Aug 262017

Lewis Hamilton will get the opportunity to score an impressive landmark at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix as he competes in his 200th F1 race.

The Silver Arrows ace made his debut at the 2007 Australian Grand Prix and has since then won the drivers' championship three times, scored 57 individual race victories and stood on the podium an impressive 110 times.

Despite not normally being one for statistics, the 32 year old racer acknowledges this 200th GP is a special occasion, as he looks to resume his championship battle with Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel. Lewis said: "It is crazy to think that I am reaching that milestone. I still feel young at heart but I have been in Formula One a long time and I am very privileged. I remember my first Grand Prix and even before that and now I am at 200! I am grateful for what I have. I think we all set out in life to achieve much more. We set the bar so high but this sport is a massive challenge and what I have done is satisfying.”

"Of course you could say I wish this race was a little bit better but you can't live like that. You have ups and downs and they have enabled me to be in this position today and the man I am today. That's God's plan and I am happy with that."

Friday images from the 2017 Belgian Grand Prix
Lewis is 14 points behind Ferrari’s Vettel in the drivers’ championship and 19 points ahead of his Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport Team teammate, Valtteri Bottas. The German's lead in the championship was boosted last time out with victory in Hungary, but Lewis is refreshed after his summer break and cannot wait to get back on track at Spa this weekend.

Lewis added: "Every day I wake up and the goal is to win the championship and stay in the lead. Coming into the second half of the season, reliability is something everyone is working hard on making sure that it does not come into play for us and I am working on my consistency.

 

"It is clear that on some tracks our car works better and on others their works better but everyone is working on making our car better. I am not thinking about what if can happen. I cannot control that. All I can do is hope for the best and maximise things. I just know that we are the best equipped to deal with that. Myself, mentally and physically, and in the team we have shown just how unified we are and how we can all work together and hopefully the results will come through."

Friday images from the 2017 Belgian Grand Prix
Meanwhile, Valtteri has also had an impressive start to the season with two victories and six further podiums and says he is not unsettled by talk about his own future in the team.

Valtteri said: "For me there is no news yet, and we will tell you the news when there is some. It doesn't make any big difference. I'm coming into this weekend not thinking about it.

 

"Like I've said before I'm used to these situations already in the last few years, always the same thing that there is no confirmation about next year so now that we start the race weekend with a practice tomorrow it's not going to be in my mind."

 

Stay tuned, as the 73rd running of the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa Francorchamps goes live at 2pm CET on Sunday 27th August.

Friday images from the 2017 Belgian Grand Prix
  

THIS ARTICLE FEATURES:

Studio images of the 2019 Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport Team, car and drivers Lewis Hamilton

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Studio images of the 2019 Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport Team, car and drivers Valtteri Bottas

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