Seventh World Championship victory 'means the world for me', says Lewis Hamilton

For Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, winning his seventh World Championship "means the world".

Hamilton's astounding performance in the Turkish Grand Prix gave him his 10th victory of the season - and, more crucially, saw him clinch the seventh drivers' title of his career, to equal the record of Michael Schumacher. The Racing Point's Sergio Perez and Vettel completed the podium after a thrilling race in Istanbul.

While expressing elation over the win, Hamilton also turned the fans' attention towards the race which is yet to be won. The 35-year-old has been a very vocal supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement ever since it started and in his lengthy Instagram post, he called for racial equality and creating a more 'equal world'.

"Leading up to today and even after I crossed the line, I've been gathering my thoughts about what's most important to me. This year has been so unpredictable. With the pandemic and obviously the season being pushed back by several months, I had the most downtime I've ever had in my life. It gave me the chance to really think about my ultimate purpose. Seven World Championships means the world to me, I can't even describe how much, but there's still another race we've yet to win," Hamilton wrote.

"This year I've been driven not just by my desire to win on the track, but by a desire to help push our sport, and our world to become more diverse and inclusive. I promise you I am not going to stop fighting for change. We have a long way to go but I will continue to push for equality within our sport, and within the greater world, we live in. Equaling Michael Schumacher's record puts a spotlight on me that I know won't be here forever. So, while you're here, paying attention, I want to ask everyone to do their part in helping to create a more equal world. Let's be more accepting and kinder to each other. Let's make it so that opportunity is not something that is dependent on background or skin colour," he added.

Hamilton further stated that the driving force for him this year has been to set an example for the next generation.

"Nothing is impossible. A driving force for me this year has been to set an example for the next generation, to never give up on your dreams. I was told by many that my dream was impossible, yet here I am. I want you to know that you can do it too. Never give up, keep fighting, and let's keep rising to the occasion. #S7ILLRISING," he said.

( With inputs from ANI )