Hamilton on a high but wary of Vettel

CHAMPIONSHIP leader Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes team will be hoping for more of the same at this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix.

After dominating last Sunday’s French Grand Prix to claim his 65th career victory, the four-time champion arrives in the Styrian Alps with a 14-point lead in this year’s title chase and a sense of reinvigoration thanks to his updated engine.

On another picturesque circuit with traffic access problems this weekend, where power will again be a major factor, Hamilton and his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas will start as favourites for Sunday’s race, albeit reluctantly.

After a disappointing perform- ance on one of Hamilton’s favourite circuits, at Montreal in Canada, their French triumph came on a day when chief rival and fellow four-time champion Sebastian Vettel experienced another of his periodic days to forget.

His opening lap collision with Bottas ruined their races and ensured Hamilton had a straightforward afternoon as he regained championship lead. He will do all he can to avoid a repeat.

Hamilton and Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff stressed after last Sunday’s win they could take nothing for granted in this yo-yo season, the Englishman saying he intended to stay grounded and to approach each race the same.

Wolff strove to play down any newly perceived advantage in speed, thanks to the upgraded Mercedes engine.

“Do we have the best engine now?” he said.

“Very difficult to say because when you look at the data, the quickest car on the straight was Kimi (Raikkonen, of Ferrari), but we believe he was maybe running a different aero configuration.

Wolff also noted that Hamilton and Vettel had enjoyed 17point leads already this season and forecast their fortunes would continue to swing on a race by race basis. “I think what you saw in Montreal in comparison to Le Castellet is that marginal gains matter,” he added.