World-class rivalry
LEWIS Hamilton placed one hand on the Formula One world champion’s trophy by winning Sunday’s US Grand Prix in Austin. Although there’s a slight chance that his Ferrari rival Sebastian Vettel could still steal the title, it’s all over bar the shouting. Hamilton requires only one fifth place in the remaining three races to be assured of his fourth championship, which would put him in a small elite of greats who’ve won it more than three times: Michael Schumacher (7 titles), Juan-Manuel Fangio (5), Alain Prost (4), and Vettel (4).
Whatever occurs, the Hamilton-Vettel contest has injected new life into F1 following three years of rather tedious Mercedes dominance.
Going into the 2017 season, Vettel and Hamilton had between them won seven of the last nine titles but had never really gone mano-a-mano in equal cars. And now that they have, it’s been a mostly tantalising duel between the two most successful drivers of their generation.
They’ve overshadowed their respective teammates to turn the championship into a two-man contest which – while producing nothing like the enmity of the Prost vs Senna duel nearly three decades ago – has at times produced its own share of friction.
The gloves came off at July’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku when Vettel drove into Hamilton’s car while following the safety car. The incident, where Vettel initially blamed Hamilton for “brake testing” him (but later agreed that he was wrong), put an end to the friendly bonhomie between the two drivers and sprinkled some spice onto the contest – because what’s a good duel without some controversy?
It’s been a rollercoaster ride with Vettel leading the first half of the championship, but then running foul of some accidents and mechanical maladies. In contrast Hamilton’s Mercedes has mostly run like clockwork and he has scored points in all 17 races run so far this year, nine of them victories.
It’s a pity that such a duel probably won’t go all the way to the wire in Abu Dhabi on November 26. But perhaps the capricious racing gods have a twist in store?