Brawn backs Hamilton to take F1 wins record to “astonishing” level

Formula 1’s managing director of motorsport Ross Brawn has tipped Lewis Hamilton to take the all-time wins record to an “astonishing level” before he retires.

Hamilton made history at the Eifel Grand Prix as he moved level with Michael Schumacher on 91 career victories in F1 at the Nurburgring – a venue at which Schumacher won five times.

After picking up his seventh win from the first 11 races of the season and his 70th victory for Mercedes, Hamilton remains on course to equal Schumacher’s record tally of seven drivers’ world titles by the end of the year.

Writing in his post-race column, Brawn praised Hamilton’s “remarkable” achievement and backed the Briton to continue to raise the bar in the sport.

“Lewis drove an exemplary race in style, which has earned him an equal number of race wins to Michael Schumacher,” Brawn said. “It’s a remarkable achievement.

“Michael always said that records are there to be broken, but I admit I didn’t expect to see this one broken so soon. And I can’t imagine Lewis is going to stop here. The way he’s going, he will raise the bar in the next few years to a level that will be astonishing.

“His race was relatively efficient and effective, almost methodical, though I know from the perspective of the pit wall and inside the cockpit, it would have been anything but methodical.”

Brawn, who managed both Hamilton and Schumacher during his spells at Mercedes and Ferrari, also discussed how the two greats differed in their approaches both on and off the track.

“Michael was a driver who was very dramatic on track in many ways and had a very quiet persona away from the track,” he explained.

“Lewis is almost the opposite - quiet but lethal in terms of delivery on track but his flamboyance comes out away from the track.

“You couldn’t have two more different characters. Both have achieved an astonishing accomplishment.”