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Sakhir (AP) - The unusual one-year contract should not stop Lewis Hamilton on the way to becoming the sole record world champion - with title number eight, the era of the 36-year-old Briton could be over.

It is not clear whether the Formula 1 superstar will continue after this season.

With more races than ever in a year, however, it is clear that he will be able to polish up his already historic success this year.

Seven titles, 95 race wins, 98 pole positions and even more - Hamilton was able to break another record from Michael Schumacher in the opening race this Sunday in the Sakhir desert.

According to the Formula 1 homepage, the Mercedes driver is still missing 13 laps on Michael Schumacher's 5111 lead laps.

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In the past season alone, in only 17 races, Hamilton led the field in 613 laps.

There should be a lot more with 23 Grand Prix in 2021.

Three-digit numbers for victories and poles are no longer a long way off on this year's Formula 1 world tour despite the corona pandemic.

And all of this without rituals, without lucky charms.

Which wasn't always like that.

In a recent talk by a joint sponsor with football superstar Tom Brady and British actor and presenter James Corden, Hamilton revealed that he had received a lucky chestnut from his brother when he was ten or eleven, but lost it.

Then there was lucky underwear, but it ran in while washing.

After all, when he was 17 or 18 he always had a certain order of dressing.

At a race in Germany he noticed shortly beforehand that the helmet was not on properly.

"A few seconds later I had an accident and I said to myself: it's ridiculous, it all just happens in my head."

From then on, Hamilton banned all superstitions.

If you were to lose because you didn't tighten your trouser leg first, but the other, "then we're dead," agreed Brady.

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Hamilton's successes are the result of his own development since he switched from McLaren to Mercedes in the 2013 season as the successor to Michael Schumacher in cooperation with a team that never tire of the drivers 'and constructors' championships even after seven series championship titles.

The problems with the test drives in the Sakhir desert two weeks before the start of the season only spurred the team around Hamilton and racing team boss Toto Wolff even more.

The team will also be accompanied by speculations and the further sporting future of Hamilton.

The contract, which was signed late, is only valid for this season.

Negotiations were delayed due to Hamilton's corona infection towards the end of the 2020 World Cup.

Hamilton and Mercedes have not yet been able to agree on a collaboration in 2022, when new rules could upset the field and a spending cap applies.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210325-99-963784 / 2

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