Hamilton Hopes to Mark 300th F1 Race with 1st Win of Season

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain walks through the paddock ahead of the French Formula One Grand Prix at the Paul Ricard racetrack in Le Castellet, southern France, Thursday, July 21, 2022. (AP)
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain walks through the paddock ahead of the French Formula One Grand Prix at the Paul Ricard racetrack in Le Castellet, southern France, Thursday, July 21, 2022. (AP)
TT
20

Hamilton Hopes to Mark 300th F1 Race with 1st Win of Season

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain walks through the paddock ahead of the French Formula One Grand Prix at the Paul Ricard racetrack in Le Castellet, southern France, Thursday, July 21, 2022. (AP)
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain walks through the paddock ahead of the French Formula One Grand Prix at the Paul Ricard racetrack in Le Castellet, southern France, Thursday, July 21, 2022. (AP)

Lewis Hamilton enters his 300th Formula One race at the French Grand Prix this weekend in the uncustomary position of chasing a first win this season.

The seven-time world champion has a record 103 F1 wins and pole positions. The 37-year-old British driver also shares two records with fellow great Michael Schumacher: seven world titles and winning at least one race for 15 straight seasons. Schumacher's run was from his F1 debut in 1992 until 2006; Hamilton's since his first season in 2007.

But Hamilton is without a win 12 races into this season. He is inching closer heading into this weekend's French Grand Prix, after three straight podium finishes since Mercedes ironed out ongoing issues with bouncing.

“It’s been really positive to have some consistency come back in. We’re constantly adding performance, we’re constantly progressing and there’s a lot to come,” Hamilton said. “In the last race (in Austria) we were only a few tenths (of a second) off the lead guys in qualifying.”

Hamilton selected his first F1 win in 2007, his first title in 2008, and winning on his home track at Silverstone as standout memories among many.

“The whole realization of reaching your dream is a very, very surreal experience and it is always going to be your first,” Hamilton said. “The amount of sleepless nights as a family that all of us had had, not knowing whether or not we would actually reach our goal, reach our dream, but never giving up.”

There have been intense rivalries: last season Red Bull star Max Verstappen clinched the title in controversial circumstances at the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP. A bitter defeat to Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg in 2016 and some tussles with Fernando Alonso in 2007 with McLaren.

When Hamilton faced Alonso, the Spaniard had already won his two F1 titles.

“Out of pure pace, I always say it’s Fernando (who was the toughest opponent). We had some good battles, I wish we could have more," Hamilton said. “I remember the task of being alongside Fernando when I was 22. I was so young mentally and of course, okay in terms of skill, but it’s a lot of pressure to go against a great."

Alonso agrees.

“He has been a tremendous driver and a legend. Back then probably no one thought that someone will be able to win seven titles like Michael,” Alonso said. “Congratulations for the 300 and hopefully another win soon.”

Hamilton was sitting out first practice at the French GP later Friday, with test and reserve driver Nyck de Vries taking his place just for that run.

In-form Schumacher

Mick Schumacher is on a roll: after 31 races without scoring points, he aims for a third straight points finish.

The 23-year-old German feels the pressure has been lifted amid a difficult season. The way he crashed without pressure at the Monaco GP in May led to some criticism from Haas team principal Guenther Steiner.

Schumacher's loss of form — 14th in Azerbaijan and another DNF in Canada — also led to questions about his F1 future.

He responded by placing eighth at the British GP and sixth at the Austrian GP two weeks ago. He showed increased confidence in both races, audaciously going wheel-to-wheel with world champion Max Verstappen and Hamilton.

Schumacher feels more comfortable in the car than earlier in the season.

“It’s just a matter of being consistent with what we’re doing. I think we always pretty much start off with a good set-up,” Schumacher said.

Four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel, a family friend, was driving behind Schumacher at Silverstone and cheered him as the finish line approached.

“I think Mick is on the right track ... it's great for him to show what he’s capable of,” Vettel said. “He had an unlucky start to the season.”

Vettel staying?

Vettel seems keen to extend his stay at Aston Martin.

His contract runs out at the end of the year and, with an increasing commitment to environmental issues weighing on his mind, observers have questioned whether he will continue.

“I think there is a clear intention to keep going and we’ll see soon where we stand,” Vettel said. “I’m talking to the team.”

The 35-year-old German driver has only three top 10 finishes this season with a best of sixth place in Azerbaijan. He laughed off rumors linking him to McLaren next season, with Daniel Ricciardo's future uncertain.

“I think Lando (Norris) has a contract," Vettel said in his deadpan manner, before cracking a cheeky smile. "It’s just rumors.”

Spa or Ricard?

Not a great result for the French Grand Prix: most drivers in an informal survey chose the Belgium Grand Prix when asked which of the two they would keep if they had a say.

Both races — at Paul Ricard in southeastern France and Spa Francorchamps in the Ardennes forest — are reportedly threatened with being replaced on the series.

Of the 10 drivers asked on Thursday, only Pierre Gasly — who is French — and Fernando Alonso, who drives for French team Alpine, chose Paul Ricard.



Lyon's Attack Looks Sharp Under New Coach Fonseca

Lyon's Georgian forward #69 Georges Mikautadze celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal during the French L1 football match between Montpellier Herault SC and Olympique Lyonnais (OL) at Stade de la Mosson in Montpellier, southern France on February 16, 2025. (Photo by Sylvain THOMAS / AFP)
Lyon's Georgian forward #69 Georges Mikautadze celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal during the French L1 football match between Montpellier Herault SC and Olympique Lyonnais (OL) at Stade de la Mosson in Montpellier, southern France on February 16, 2025. (Photo by Sylvain THOMAS / AFP)
TT
20

Lyon's Attack Looks Sharp Under New Coach Fonseca

Lyon's Georgian forward #69 Georges Mikautadze celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal during the French L1 football match between Montpellier Herault SC and Olympique Lyonnais (OL) at Stade de la Mosson in Montpellier, southern France on February 16, 2025. (Photo by Sylvain THOMAS / AFP)
Lyon's Georgian forward #69 Georges Mikautadze celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal during the French L1 football match between Montpellier Herault SC and Olympique Lyonnais (OL) at Stade de la Mosson in Montpellier, southern France on February 16, 2025. (Photo by Sylvain THOMAS / AFP)

After 10 goals in three games, new coach Paulo Fonseca's pledge to bring attacking soccer back to Lyon is holding firm.
Sunday's 4-1 win at Montpellier in Ligue 1 saw four different Lyon players on target for the second straight game, The Associated Press reported.
After being involved in all four Lyon goals against Reims last weekend, Rayan Cherki took only three minutes to set up Georgia's Georges Mikautadze for the opener.
Forward Tanguy Coulibaly equalized for last-placed Montpellier shortly before halftime, but Lyon pulled away early in the second half. Ernest Nuamah scored and three minutes later set up rejuvenated midfielder Corentin Tolisso, who has netted in every game under Fonseca.
Under previous coach Pierre Sage, the team was looking laborious and had scored only five goals in six games without a win before he was fired.
Veteran striker Alexandre Lacazette completed the rout in the 73rd minute for Lyon, which stayed in sixth place because Lille won 2-0 at Rennes in Sunday's late game to retain fifth spot.
The race for third place promises to be intense, with Nice reclaiming it from Riviera rival Monaco on goal difference after winning 3-1 at lowly Le Havre.
Both Nice and Monaco have 40 points and trail second-place Marseille by six points.
Striker Gaëtan Laborde sent Nice ahead in the 16th minute and an own-goal from Étienne Youté two minutes later put Nice in control. Yassine Kechta pulled a goal back soon after but Sofiane Diop made it 3-1 in stoppage time.
Coach Liam Rosenior's Strasbourg won 2-0 at Lens to leapfrog the northern side — also on goal difference — and move into seventh place, with Dutch striker Emanuel Emegha grabbing his 10th goal of the season.
Algerian winger Farid El Melali scored the only goal as Angers won 1-0 at Reims. The two sides meet again in the French Cup quarterfinals on Feb. 25.
Bentaleb's poignant goal After poking in Lille's opening goal from close range following a corner, Nabil Bentaleb sprinted to the bench and was hugged by everyone there.
With good reason.
The Algeria midfielder only started training again last month after suffering a cardiorespiratory arrest in mid-June last year. He was put into an artificial coma and fitted with a pacemaker-defibrillator days later.
Lille's top scorer Jonathan David was rested for this game and his replacement penalty-taker missed from the spot. Chuba Akpom's effort in the 44th was saved by goalkeeper Brice Samba.
The English striker then had a goal disallowed midway through the second half for an offside. But Akpom's perseverance led to a red card for defender Christopher Wooh, who fouled him in the 75th, and the sending off opened up the game for the visitors.
The former Tottenham and Schalke midfielder Bentaleb scored five minutes later — prompting a big smile from Lille coach Bruno Genesio — and Akpom was played in by Mitchel Bakker six minutes later against 13th-placed Rennes.
After the final whistle, Lille's players urged Bentaleb to go toward the traveling supporters, who applauded him.
“It’s incredible. These images will remain engraved for life,” Bentaleb told match broadcaster DAZN. “There are things that are not forgotten and that I will not forget when I stop playing football.”
Runaway leader PSG scraped a 1-0 win at Toulouse on Saturday to stay 10 points clear of free-scoring Marseille in second position.