LEWIS HAMILTON insists he is not thinking about winning a record eighth world championship — despite admitting he is making every “sacrifice” possible in order to drive into the history books.

A resurgent Hamilton heads into this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix firmly in the title discussion after he charged to his first Ferrari victory at the previous round in Spain.

Hamilton’s triumph ended a 686-day wait for a victory and helped to shelve an ugly opening campaign in red where he failed to record a single podium, and at one stage even called on the Italian giants to replace him with another driver.

Hamilton is second in the standings, 41 points behind Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli after the 19-year-old, who replaced him at Mercedes, won five consecutive races.

But speaking at the eighth of a scheduled 22 rounds in Spielberg, Hamilton, 41, said: “I am not really thinking about competing for a championship. I want to win this weekend. That is my goal. And that is what I have been working towards all of last week, and this week, too.

“I am thinking about each race, arriving and executing as we did at the last race, with pit-stops, with strategy, we were all in sync, and having that all in one weekend is the most important thing, and not about what is going to happen in 15 races’ time.”

George Russell finished second to Hamilton in Barcelona as he awaits his first win since the opening race in Australia in March.

Russell, who drove alongside Hamilton at Mercedes for three seasons, said: “It’s great to see Lewis back doing what he does best.”