Lewis Hamilton could shortly match Michael Schumacher’s record of seven World Championships by 2020, World Champion Nigel Mansell has claimed.
Hamilton is on the verge of clinching his fifth World Championship title, and would join Michael Schumacher and the late Argentine Manuel Fangio on five title triumphs.
Schumacher claimed his fifth title at the age of 33 – the same age Hamilton would be if he were to win the US Grand Prix.
The 33-year-old requires just eight points more than Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel in the US Grand Prix on Sunday to wrap up the championship.
Michael Schumacher update: Recovery timeline – Will Schumacher go out in public again?
And Mansell believes another title will spur on Hamilton to achieve even more success over the coming seasons and match Schumacher’s title record.
The Mercedes driver needs to win in Austin, Texas and Sebastian Vettel has to finish in third place or lower for Hamilton to claim his fifth victory.
If Hamilton finishes seventh or lower, then the championship will continue to Mexico.
Mansell said: “Lewis is on a crest of a wave and I predict that within the next couple of years he will get his seventh World Championship.
Michael Schumacher latest: Lewis Hamilton could shortly match Michael Schumacher’s record (Image: Getty )
“The confidence of winning puts you on another level, and if he keeps his desire I can’t see anyone challenging him next season either.
“Sebastian will again be there or thereabouts, but Lewis is racing in a different stratosphere because he has been able to build his momentum, race-by-race, year-by-year.”
Hamilton has signed with Mercedes until at least the end of 2020 after signing a deal to become the sport’s first £40 million-a-season driver earlier this year.
Fernando Alonso named Hamilton as one of the five best World Champions of all-time ahead of the US Grand Prix.
Michael Schumacher latest: Lewis Hamilton is on the verge of claiming five World Championship titles (Image: Getty )
Mansell believes Hamilton is one of the greatest F1 driver’s of all time but said the driving now cannot be compared to when he was a World Champion.
He added: “Will Lewis go down as one of the greatest drivers of all time? Of course he will, and he should, but times are very different now.
“I broke my back three time, I broke my neck, and my feet were in bits.
“I believe the great drivers are those that competed with no seatbelt, no crash helmets and if you were involved in an accident there was a 50-50 chance you would die.”
Michael Schumacher latest: The positions Hamilton needs to finish to claim the championship (Image: PA graphics )
Hamilton has been unbeaten on US soil since 2013, but the champion said his team is just focusing on making sure they deliver.
He said: “You can never be complacent in life or in a championship which is as intense as this one has been. We have got to make sure we come here and raise the bar again.
“So, I am definitely not thinking how it will feel if we do the job. That just adds more pressure, and I don’t need more pressure.”
Will Michael Schumacher be seen in public again?
The exact condition of the Formula 1 driver is unknown after he suffered a skiing accident almost five years ago.
Michael Schumacher latest: Michael Schumacher suffered a head injury in 2013 and has not recovered (Image: Getty )
He was skiing off-piste with his son at the Meribel ski resort in France in December 2013 when he fell and hit his head on a rock.
The former Ferrari driver was put in a medically induced coma for six months, with doctors describing his condition as “extremely serious” the day after his admission.
He was moved to a rehabilitation centre at the University of Lausanne, before being relocated to his home in September 2014.
The cost of his care is said to be around £115,000 a week.
His family do not share details on his condition, as his manager, Sabine Kehm, explained it was not a public issued.
She said: “We have to protect his intimate sphere. Legally seen and in the longer term, every statement related to his health would diminish the extent to this intimate sphere.”
It’s believed Schumacher is unable to walk and is unlikely to be seen in public again.