Lewis Hamilton admits he has "secretly dreamt" of matching Michael Schumacher with an "unimaginable" seven Formula 1 world championships.
The Mercedes driver reached that hallowed figure after claiming an impressive victory in difficult conditions at the Turkish Grand Prix, his 10th win of the 2020 season.
Hamilton's latest achievement also comes after he equalled and then surpassed Schumacher for the most victories in F1 last month.
And commenting on his success, the 35-year-old acknowledges the incredible scale of what he has done during his 14-year career.
“I know often I say it’s beyond my wildest dreams but I think my whole life I have secretly dreamt as high as this but it felt so far-fetched,” Hamilton said.
“I remember watching Michael winning those championships and we are all doing the best job we can. Just to get one, two, or even three, it’s so hard to get. So seven is just unimaginable.
“When you work with such a great group of people and you really trust one another, there is just no end to what we can do together with this team.
“I’m so proud of the work that we’ve done, and them trusting me out there today, that comes with experience. But what a day! A lot to take in.”
In recent weeks, Hamilton has been offering some mixed messages over his future in F1, as he is yet to re-sign with Mercedes beyond this season.
But on the podium in Istanbul, made it clear he ain't going anywhere yet.
“I feel like I’m only just getting started, it’s really weird. I feel physically in great shape and mentally, this year has been the hardest year probably for millions of people and I know things always look great here on the big stage, it’s no different for us athletes,” he said.
“This has been a challenge that I didn’t know how to get through, but with the help of great people around me, the team, with the help of Team LH, I managed to just keep my head above water and stay focused.
“I am really hopeful for a better year next year and I would love to stay."
Also Read:
- Hamilton 'learnt his lesson' from China 2007 en route to Turkish GP win
- Hamilton 'proud' of incoming 7th F1 title, hopes it will inspire others
- Schumacher on Hamilton: 'My Dad always said records are there to be broken'
Hamilton also spoke of his wish to continue helping F1 spread a positive message in the fight for equality and against climate change.
"I feel like we’ve got a lot of work to do here, we’ve only just begun to hold ourselves accountable as a sport," he clamed.
“We cannot ignore the human rights issues that are going on around the countries we go to, and how we can engage with those countries and help them, empower them to do more to really change, not 10 years from now but now.
“I want to help Formula 1 and Mercedes in that journey. Also moving more sustainable as a sport, and I want to see if I can be a part of that, at least the first part of that for a little bit longer.”
