Hamilton seeks win as he hits milestone race
Briton hopes he can triumph this season and be first driver to claim victory after 300 starts
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LE CASTELLET (France) • Lewis Hamilton believes he can make Formula One history as the first driver to win a race after reaching 300 grand prix starts.
The seven-time world champion, who has a record 103 wins to his credit, will become only the sixth driver to chalk up 300 starts when he lines up on the grid in France tomorrow.
Finn Kimi Raikkonen bowed out of F1 last year after a record 349 races, but was without a win since 2018, while it has been nearly a decade since still-active Fernando Alonso (344) last won.
Brazil's Rubens Barrichello (323 races), German seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher (307) and Britain's Jenson Button (306) also failed to win after reaching the mark.
But 37-year-old Mercedes driver Hamilton is paying no attention to such statistics.
"It doesn't faze me because I'm working towards getting that win," said the Briton, who has won in every season he has entered but has now gone 12 races without a victory for the first time in F1.
"I do believe at some stage we will be able to compete with these guys, whether that's this weekend or in five races' time...
"We've made progress and we've started to hit a patch of consistency."
Hamilton made his debut at McLaren in 2007 with Alonso as his teammate and the Spaniard, now with Alpine, praised the former's longevity in the motor sport.
"He had the talent already in 2007 and he still has the talent now, with experience. He has been a tremendous driver, a legend of our sport," said the two-time world champion.
"It has been always a pleasure to share all this time with him.
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Lewis Hamilton will become only the sixth driver to chalk up 300 starts when he lines up on the grid in France.
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Hamilton, who made his F1 debut in 2007, has won in each of his 15 seasons he has entered. This is his 16th.
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Seven-time world champion Hamilton has a record 103 race wins.
"Back then, probably no one thought someone would be able to win seven titles like Michael but, yeah. The journey has been amazing... and hopefully, another win soon."
Hamilton returned the compliments, claiming Alonso, now 40, had been probably his toughest opponent, even if comparisons were difficult as he reflected on their different life stages.
"I remember the task of being alongside Fernando when I was 22, I was so young mentally... it's a lot of pressure to go up against a great like him so I would say Fernando (is my toughest rival) out of pure pace and ability," he said.
"We had some good battles, I wish we could have more. Hopefully, he's going to continue to race and we will have more battles in the future."
Having finished third in as many races, Hamilton will be quietly confident of at least finishing on the podium again as he seeks to maintain his unique record as the only driver to have won a race in every season of his career.
World champion Max Verstappen, who leads the drivers' title race with 208 points ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc on 170, is the favourite at the Paul Ricard circuit but the Red Bull rider is expecting a fierce scrap for victory tomorrow.
On Mercedes, whose recent upgrades appeared to have revived their car, the Dutchman said: "Maybe they are (a threat). I hope not.
"I hope that with the things we learnt (at Austria), we are back to our normal form - but even when we are in normal form, I think it's still going to be very tight for a race win. So, I expect the same here."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
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