SMASH & GRAB
Hamilton wanted a miracle and Vettel crash gave him one
LEWIS HAMILTON started the day two rows behind Sebastian Vettel, looking for a “miracle”, and fearing his car wasn’t built for the twisting Singapore track.
He ended it with his German rival 28 points in his rear-view mirror in the title race and with a Ferrari that needed putting back together. Hamilton (right) had genuine concerns that Vettel would lead the championship after this night-time spectacle, as he started on pole on a course that does not lend itself to overtaking, with its multitude of tight turns. But before any of the cars had even reached the first bend, Hamilton’s luck had turned in dramatic fashion. For the first time in almost 1,000 races, over 67 years, both Ferraris were out of the race without completing a lap. Vettel tried to move across to his left off the start line to hold off the charging Max Verstappen, in second, heading for the bend. His Ferrari team-mate, Kimi Raikkonen, had already gone round Verstappen on the other side, and was looking to move to his right to claim ground. What happened next had heads in hands in the Ferrari garage as they both clattered into Verstappen – and each
other – before Raikkonen slid off the track, taking Verstappen with him. Hamilton raced round the lot, and plenty of other trouble, to snatch the lead and, when Vettel’s badly-damaged car spun, his race was over and the Brit could scarcely believe his luck. The Mercedes driver said: “I want to congratulate my team, they did a fantastic job. “We struggled yesterday and had no idea what would happen today. We were fortunate with what happened with the Ferraris at the beginning but I could not be happier. “I capitalised on the incident. Daniel put up a really good fight today. I hoped I would get to race Sebastian at the beginning. Of course, it is better the way it is.” Hamilton took his first championship lead of the season in the previous race
but, having qualified only fifth, four places behind Vettel, he realistically expected to yield that lead yesterday. Even the weather was on his side, helping to slow down the likes of Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo, whose pace could have given Hamilton problems in dry conditions. Hamilton added: “I needed it to rain and, as soon as it did, I knew where I was going to finish. “I knew I had the pace when it rains.”