Lewis Hamilton may have already secured his sixth Formula 1 world championship but with two races remaining in 2019 the Mercedes star still has more records in his sights.
Ahead of this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix and the Abu Dhabi GP on 1 December, Sky Sports reports that the British driver is on track to secure the highest season points tally and most podium finishes for a season.
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Hamilton is currently on 381 points and is 27 away from the 408 he won last year. The F1 record for most podiums in a season is 17 - Hamilton is on 16.
Victory in either Brazil or Abu Dhabi will also see the 34-year-old equal his personal best of 11 wins in one season. He won 11 times in 2014 and 2018 and is currently on ten victories in 2019.
However, out of his reach is the overall record for most wins in a season, 13, jointly held by Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel.
Battle for third goes to the wire
Hamilton and Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas have secured the top two spots in the 2019 drivers’ championship, but the battle for third place will go down to the wire.
Going into the Brazilian GP Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc currently sits third in the standings with 249 points while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (235) and Ferrari’s Vettel (230) are fourth and fifth respectively.
2019 F1 Brazilian GP race guide
Circuit name: Autódromo José Carlos Pace
First grand prix: 1973
Number of laps: 71
Circuit length: 4.309km
Race distance: 305.909km
Lap record: 1:10.540 by Valtteri Bottas in 2018
2018 podium: 1st Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes); 2nd Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing); 3rd Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari)
When are the practice sessions?
There are three full practice (FP) sessions at Interlagos. On Friday 15 November FP1 takes place from 2pm to 3.30pm and FP2 is from 6pm to 7.30pm. FP3 will be from 3pm to 4pm on Saturday 16 November. All times UK.
When is qualifying?
Qualifying in Brazil starts at 6pm on Saturday 16 November.
What time does the race start?
The 2019 F1 Brazilian GP starts at 5.10pm (GMT) on Sunday 17 November.
Brazilian GP predictions
The Daily Telegraph
“The United States Grand Prix was a bit of a shock for Ferrari. They were less competitive in qualifying, though hardly a million miles away, but their race pace was atrocious. Mercedes again emerged as the fastest team and you would expect them to be the quickest at Interlagos, too. It’s difficult to look past Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton normally goes quite well in Brazil. Red Bull could be back in contention this week again, so I expect Verstappen to be Mercedes’ main challenger, given the step backwards Ferrari had in Austin. Podium prediction: 1st Hamilton 2nd Bottas 3rd Verstappen.”
Tony Kelshaw, bwin
“With a sixth Formula 1 world championship safely wrapped up, we’re backing Lewis Hamilton to celebrate in style in our Brazilian Grand Prix predictions. The Briton travelled to South America under similar circumstances 12 months ago and went on to give Mercedes a fourth win here in five years. Punters can get 7/4 for a repeat scenario in the Brazilian Grand Prix odds and that is good enough to tempt us in.”
Bobby Vincent, GPBlog.com
“Four of the last five seasons at Interlagos have been Mercedes victories and it would be a brave move to bet against that on Sunday, with the Silver Arrows absolutely flying once again following somewhat of a blip in the second half of the season.”
Sky Sports F1 will show live coverage of practice, qualifying and the GP from Interlagos. Channel 4 will show highlights of qualifying and the race.
Watch F1 on Now TV
Formula 1 fans can also watch the action live on Now TV. Viewers can subscribe to a Sky Sports Day Pass via Now TV for just £8.99, the most economical way of watching each race.
Sky Sports F1 coverage of the Brazilian GP Friday 15 November
1.45pm: practice one build-up
2pm: practice one live
5.45pm: practice two build-up
6pm: practice two live
Saturday 16 November
2.45pm: practice three build-up
3pm: practice three live
5pm: qualifying build-up
6pm: qualifying live
7.45pm: The F1 Show
Sunday 17 November
3.30pm: Pit Lane live (simulcast on Sky Sports Main Event)
4.30pm: On The Grid (simulcast on Sky Sports Main Event)
5.10pm: F1 Brazilian Grand Prix live (simulcast on Sky Sports Main Event)
7pm: Paddock Live
8pm: The Notebook
8.30pm: Brazilian GP highlights
9.30pm: Brazilian GP Best Bits
Channel 4 coverage of the Brazilian GP
Qualifying highlights: 10.50pm on Saturday 16 November
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