Hamilton hails 'epic day' after breaking Schumacher's F1 pole record

Lewis Hamilton was left struggling for words after breaking Michael Schumacher’s record for the most Formula 1 pole positions on Saturday, topping qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix.

Hamilton tied Schumacher’s tally of 68 career poles in Belgium last weekend before moving clear with a stunning final lap in Q3 at Monza, beating Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo.

Now the outright record holder for F1 poles, Hamilton tried to sum up his delight after a crazy wet qualifying session that lasted more than three hours thanks to rain delays.

“t’s very hard to find the words to explain how I feel. I’m trying to figure it all out right this second,” Hamilton said.

“The weather had been incredibly tricky for us all. I can’t believe that so much time has passed, so many great experiences and a lot of difficult times, but what a day to come here in this beautiful country with the unusually kind of English weather and to be massively challenged.

“It was difficult to see out there, it was difficult to see the lines and very easy to make mistakes in the rain. The second to last lap was OK at the beginning, and I backed out of it hoping I would get one more lap, and there was a lot of pressure for that last lap.

“There could have been a red flag, could have been a yellow flag or something like that, so a lot to risk, but I gave it everything. It probably won’t sink in for a long time, but I’ve just got to say a big thank you to my team for making it all possible.

“An epic day, truly blessed, thank you.”

When asked about the significance of the record, Hamilton reflected on the times he watched Schumacher racing when growing up and how he dreamed of emulating the seven-time world champion one day.

“I wish I was better with words to be honest. I wish I had something really iconic to say,” Hamilton said.

“I heard that it’s only switched hands a couple of times in the 60 years or whatever it is. A bit like at the last race, just growing up, watching the sport as we all have, and witnessing greatness in other individuals such as Michael, and just dreaming of one day doing what he’s doing.

“And then to be there many years later, we are and I am living proof that dreams are something that can come true. So I think it’s really cool for young kids to be watching today.

“It’s probably hard to really imagine it, but I was once younger in their position and dreaming of doing what I’m doing today which they perhaps are.

“Very proud for what we as a family have achieved. It’s crazy. But [Sebastian] Vettel’s not that far behind so I’ve got to keep extending it, otherwise he might catch it. So I’ve got to stick around for a while.”