Hamilton one win from Schumacher's record 91 after Tuscan GP victory
(dpa)
Mugello, Italy (dpa) - World champion Lewis Hamilton rebounded from a poor start to win a turbulent Tuscan Formula One Grand Prix, which was red-flagged twice, as he moved within one victory of Michael Schumacher's record of 91 race wins.
Hamilton won from Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas and first-time podium finisher Alex Albon of Red Bull in a first-ever Mugello race which saw the safety car out in the opening lap after two cars went out. The action was red-flagged minutes later when four cars at the back of the pack crashed on the start-finish straight on the restart.
Bottas had snatched the lead from pole sitter Hamilton at the original start but the champion then used Bottas' slipstream in the second standing start after the red flag to fly past the Finn, and preserved the lead through a third standing start after another red flag period in the later stages.
Hamilton extended his lead atop the standings to 55 points over Bottas with his sixth win in nine season races as he aims to equal Schumacher's record seven world titles. He can draw level on 91 race wins with the German great in a fortnight at the Russian GP in Sochi.
Bottas had snatched the lead from pole sitter Hamilton at the original start but the champion then used Bottas' slipstream in the second standing start after the red flag to fly past the Finn, and preserved the lead through a third standing start after another red flag period in the later stages.
Hamilton extended his lead atop the standings to 55 points over Bottas with his sixth win in nine season races as he aims to equal Schumacher's record seven world titles. He can draw level on 91 race wins with the German great in a fortnight at the Russian GP in Sochi.