Hamilton, Vettel ready to fight for five crowns

Formula One fans will be hearing a lot about Juan Manuel Fangio this season as Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel battle to match the late Argentine’s 1950s feat of five world championships.

Only Michael Schumacher, with seven, has won more titles and equaling the German’s tally is still largely the stuff of dreamland.

“I saw something about being up there potentially with Fangio, so that is quite an exciting prospect,” Hamilton said when his new Mercedes W09 car made its track debut at Silverstone in February.

The Briton is the bookmakers’ favorite to defend the title in what will be the first season to feature two four-times champions together on track.

Vettel could be breathing down Hamilton’s neck, a decade after his Ferrari team last won a title, but may find Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo running alongside if not in front.

Even Mercedes recognize it might be best for the sport, in its second year with US-based Liberty Media running the show, not to have a fifth successive season of domination by the Silver Arrows.

“If you look from outside, does a long term dominance of the team damage the spectacle? Yes it does,” team boss Toto Wolff told reporters.

“We’ve seen that with the successes from Ferrari in the years 2000 and Red Bull a couple of years ago...

“I think the most healthy situation for Formula One is a very competitive environment where multiple teams are able to win, the championship goes down to the wire... these are clearly the ingredients it needs.”

That could also happen, if predictions of a tight three-way tussle at the top come true, and Hamilton for one would welcome the challenge.

Exactly who stands where will likely remain unclear until well after Melbourne, which is not always the best guide to long-term form. Vettel won a year ago and led for 12 races before it all fell apart.