Portimao (Portugal) (AFP)

Lewis Hamilton, who on Sunday became the absolute record holder for Formula 1 victories with 92 successes (one more than Michael Schumacher), acted in humility, above all thanking his Mercedes team for their triumph.

"I thought a bit about what I was able to do and overcome, but especially the work that we have done collectively as a team, and I remembered the beginnings when I made the decision to join her. , and to all that we have accomplished since then, ”he said.

"Would I have thought we would get that far? I knew we would win championships, but we were going to win so many races, of course not," he said.

"It's not just me, it's history, it's the whole team," he said, Mercedes being one of the most important brands in motor racing alongside Ferrari.

How far will the British champion, now 35 years old and the only black driver in F1 history, go?

"I don't like to say that there are no limits. It will depend on the team and how far we want to go. We keep innovating," he said.

Mercedes has won every F1 title since the advent of hybrid engines in 2014.

- "I don't think about the numbers" -

Lewis Hamilton assured that during the race he was not thinking about his new record.

“When I come to these races, I don't think of the numbers. It doesn't fit into my reasoning. This track is very smooth, we all had problems with the tires and I was mainly thinking about what I was going to tell the engineers. , or not to say (...) I thought I was learning a little more with each lap on the circuit, I was trying different trajectories, there were a lot of changes in wind direction ... all of this in the goal to improve myself and go faster and faster, "said the British champion, also author of the fastest lap on Sunday.

He has yet to officially say whether he will continue with Mercedes in the coming years and has yet to discuss renewing his contract.

But the six-time world champion recalled this weekend that the current circumstances, with the coronavirus pandemic, were significantly disrupting things and the calendar of negotiations.

"Sometimes I think I'm 35 .... I still feel physically strong, but when is that going to start to change, when will I be less performing? Considering today's result , not right away ", he assured.

However, he said he suffered from cramps at the end of the race, on a particularly demanding circuit for the drivers.

“I didn't drink during the race. It's a very physical circuit. I had a calf cramp and it hurt a lot. I didn't know what to do because every time I did. pressed the pedal, it was painful. It lasted two laps and then it got better, "he said at a press conference, his young rival Max Verstappen, 3rd Sunday, then giving him advice on the best way to get a massage.

This cramp did not, however, prevent him from leaping out of his Mercedes once his 92nd victory in his pocket to rush into the arms of his father, who came to witness his triumph.

Like when he started in F1 and won his first victory, in 2007 in Canada.

© 2020 AFP