How can Lewis Hamilton win the F1 world championship at the Turkish Grand Prix today?

There are 13 different permutations this weekend that could see Hamilton become a seven-time world champion

Jack de Menezes
Sports News Correspondent
Sunday 15 November 2020 06:14 EST
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Lewis Hamilton wins a record 92 races

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Lewis Hamilton has the first chance to become a seven-time Formula One world champion at this weekend’s Turkish Grand Prix, giving him the opportunity to pull level with Michael Schumacher’s all-time record.

The Briton leads the 2020 drivers’ championship by 85 points over Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas, who knows that with only four races remaining this season and 104 points on offer, he needs a combination of consecutive race wins along with a stroke of luck in Hamilton hitting unprecedented struggles.

However, stranger things have happened in F1, and Hamilton will remember only too well how engine failure cost him the 2016 title in his season-long battle with Nico Rosberg.

To make matters more unpredictable, F1 heads to its fourth consecutive unknown in the form of Istanbul Park, with Turkey returning to the calendar for the first time since it last appeared on the calendar in 2011.

With the threat of reliability failure and retirement constantly looming over every driver, Hamilton will be keen to wrap up the title and emulate Schumacher’s achievement as soon as possible, ensuring that the celebrations can begin in what would be a record-breaking season.

Here’s how Hamilton can win the title this weekend in Turkey.

Lewis Hamilton will win the world championship if he finishes in front of Valtteri Bottas.

Bottas must outscore Hamilton by eight points to keep the championship alive.

Turkish Grand Prix permutations

• If Bottas wins the race with the fastest lap (26 points), Hamilton cannot be champion

• If Bottas wins the race without the fastest lap (25 points), Hamilton will be champion if he is second (18 pts)

• If Bottas is second with the fastest lap (19 points), Hamilton will be champion if he is at least fourth (12 points)

• If Bottas is second without the fastest lap (18 points), Hamilton will be champion if he is at least fourth (12 points) or fifth with the fastest lap (11 points)

• If Bottas is third with the fastest lap (16 points), Hamilton will be champion if he is at least fifth (10 points)

• If Bottas is third without the fastest lap (15 points), Hamilton will be champion if he is at least sixth (8 points) with or without the fastest lap

• If Bottas is fourth with the fastest lap (13 points), Hamilton will be champion if he is at least seventh (6 points)

• If Bottas is fourth without the fastest lap (12 points), Hamilton will be champion if he is at least eighth with the fastest lap (5 points)

• If Bottas is fifth with the fastest lap (11 points), Hamilton will be champion if he is at least eighth (4 points)

• If Bottas is fifth without the fastest lap (10 points), Hamilton will be champion if is at least ninth with the fastest lap (3 points)

• If Bottas is sixth with the fastest lap (9 points), Hamilton will be champion if he is at least ninth (2 points)

• If Bottas is sixth without the fastest lap (8 points), Hamilton will be champion if he is at least 10th (1 point)

• If Bottas is seventh or lower, Hamilton is guaranteed to be champion

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