The F1 Debrief: Hamilton equals Schumacher, is Albon's time up at Red Bull?

Hamilton equals Schumacher

When the chequered flag dropped to conclude the Eifel Grand Prix, the inevitable happened. Lewis Hamilton recorded his 91st F1 career win and equalled Michael Schumacher’s total. Some might say it was one of Hamilton’s straight-forward wins when pole-sitter Valtteri Bottas ruined his own race and subsequently retired with an issue. But Hamilton drove a faultless Grand Prix, and he managed to keep Verstappen quiet with another safety car restart masterclass.

Despite it seeming inevitable since the moment Hamilton announced his Mercedes contract extension two years earlier, it’s an achievement nobody should ever underestimate regardless of whether you’re a fan. When Schumacher was at his peak, nobody expected to see these numbers ever again.

Following the post-race interviews, it was touching to see Mick Schumacher present Hamilton with one of Michael Schumacher’s helmets. Perhaps it was the christening moment where both F1 legends joined together.

And the question that now seems to linger around the Formula 1 paddock is: How far can Hamilton take this number? With the new regulations delayed until 2022, Mercedes will be comfortably favourites next season. You can’t entirely write off a strong Red Bull development through the winter, but the German team always find something extra.

However, there’s one thing missing. The six-time World Champion is yet to sign on the dotted line. Could this be Hamilton’s final season at Mercedes? Could this be Hamilton’s final season in Formula 1? At this stage, those questions have a firm tick in the “no” box. But that will change if there’s no announcement before the calendars turn to December.

If he does sign with Mercedes, there's every chance Hamilton will take that number through the "100 barrier" and far beyond. 

Is Albon out of chances?

Alex Albon had another sticky weekend. Everything seemed rosy when he recorded his first podium at the Tuscan Grand Prix, but nothing has happened for him since.

On Sunday, twice at turn one Albon locked up his tyres and gave himself serious flat spots. He had also clipped Daniil Kvyat’s front wing and gave himself a time penalty. This was all before the race had reached the half-way mark.

By lap 23, Albon was in reverse getting pushed back into his garage. At the time, it seemed as if Red Bull Racing had decided enough was enough! They later suggested an overheating issue ended Albon’s day. Either way, they’ve probably saved crucial engine mileage in a race that wasn’t worth running anymore.

How many more chances is Albon going to get? With Pierre Gasly performing well at AlphaTauri, the obvious choice will be to call the Frenchman back. But Sky Sports pundits Paul di Resta and Nico Rosberg seemed to think the relationship between Red Bull and Gasly wasn’t strong.

Dr Helmut Marko and co are a stubborn lot. But now might just be the time to look outside of their junior driver set-up and talk to the likes of Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez. In the next few weeks, it’s going to be important to see how the drivers in question perform.

Hulkenback

For the second time this season, Nico Hulkenberg returned to the grid. He replaced Sergio Perez who had tested positive for COVID-19 at Silverstone. And at the Eifel Grand Prix, he sat on the other side of the garage to partner Perez for the first time since 2016. Lance Stroll was ill.

Compared to normal, none of the drivers had much practice at the Nürburgring. But Hulkenberg stepped into the car for qualifying without any running. He qualified 20th but managed to climb through the field to score points and deservedly claim the “driver of the day” award. He once again put his hat firmly into the ring for a seat in 2021.

Again, it was Hulkenberg who dashed across the country to be able to race. But as the number of cases rises around Europe, it’s a wonder we don’t see all reserve drivers in the paddock from Thursday. The way the world is at the minute, drivers are more likely to drop out of races than they usually would be. Perhaps we’ll see this change in the coming races.

Third place in the Constructors Championship

With Daniel Ricciardo’s third-place in Germany, we’ve now seen seven different constructors on the podium in 2020. A stat that probably nobody would’ve predicted 12 months ago. A stat aided by Ferrari’s poor performances.

And this has left us with just six points between fifth-placed Renault and third-placed Racing Point. McLaren are sandwiched between the two, while Ferrari are in a position to make a challenge should they find the required improvements.

As we head towards the final stages of the 2020 season, this battle is going to take centre stage. Although it’s not for the lead of the World Championship, it’s one that Formula 1 shouldn’t underestimate. This fight needs plenty of media attention. It matters a lot to the teams involved. There’s big money at stake.