Andrea still in with title chance
the title, all have their advocates. And that is not even including Mr Lionheart, Nigel Mansell.
Statistically, there is no argument: Hamilton has more titles, race wins (61), pole positions (72) and fastest laps (38) than any other Briton. His pole in Austin further increased his all-time record for the sport. But in the days of Stewart, Clark and Moss there were often only 11 races a season compared to the 20-plus there are now. How many more titles would Clark, right, the Scottish farmer, have won had he not been tragically killed in a non-F1 race at Hockenheim in 1968.
It has been estimated that in Moss’s career, from the end of WWII to his retirement in 1962, around 180 drivers died in racing accidents. The four-time runner-up would have regarded about 50 of them as friends.
Hamilton, thankfully, has competed in an era where F1 safety standards – the campaign sparked by Stewart who also saw many of his friends die in horrendous circumstances – are at their highest.
So much so, a backlash has started with critics saying the sport has become too safe with the huge run-offs at new circuits reducing the risks and the spectacle.
“Lewis is definitely the best driver in the world at the moment, but it is hard to say where he ranks among the best,” former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who has witnessed the best from every generation, told the Express. “You have to look at what other cars people drove. Would you say Jim Clark was the best? He certainly was in those days and had the best machine. Lewis will have one more title than Not Classified: ITALY
Hamilton had trailed in the drivers’ championship since Sebastian Vettel won the opening round in Melbourne in March – his deficit stretching to 25 points at one point. But in Ferrari’s own backyard, he swept to an impressive win to lead a Mercedes one-two. Vettel could finish only third to fall three points behind.
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At the next race Hamilton had set his sights on damage-limitation, expecting to relinquish his lead after qualifying fifth as Vettel swept to pole on the street circuit. But when both Ferraris collided at the start, the Briton emerged from the carnage to triumph under the lights. His advantage was suddenly 28 points.
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Hamilton cruised to his eighth win of the year as Ferrari’s miserable run of reliability continued. Vettel limped out with an engine issue at the start of the race all but handing Hamilton – now 59 points ahead - his fourth drivers’ crown.
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A 23-year-old Hamilton stopped the Glock to become F1’s youngest champion in a dramatic climax. Ferrari rival Felipe Massa thought he had secured the championship after winning the race, but Hamilton overtook Timo Glock on the final corner at Interlagos to finish fifth and take the title by one point.
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A controversial double points ruling for the final race took the battle with Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg to a desert showdown. But he powered to an 11th win of the season while the German had mechanical problems to win by 67 points.
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Hamilton joined Jackie Stewart as a British three-time champion, sealing the title in Austin with three races to spare after a run of five wins in six races. He won 10 races in all and finished 59 points ahead of Rosberg.
Ayrton Senna, though I’ve always said in my opinion that Prost was the best there always has been.
“Prost lost a couple of championships by one point or whatever and did not always have support from the No2 driver, or the team never seemed to get behind him in a big way.
“So it’s hard to tell who is the best but Lewis has done a bloody good job this year and deserves the title.”
Hamilton could argue he should already be celebrating his sixth drivers’ crown having missed out by just one point in his stunning rookie year in 2007 and last season when reliability issues cost him more points than his team-mate Nico Rosberg.
Vettel may have the same number of titles from the years when Red Bull dominated. Hamilton has similarly enjoyed Mercedes’ superiority but can justly claim to be the best of his generation and an all-time great. ITALIAN Andrea Dovizioso took victory in Malaysia yesterday to maintain his dream of taking the world crown for the first time.
The Ducati rider capitalised on an error by his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo of Spain in the rain-soaked race at Sepang to secure his sixth win of the campaign – but Dovizioso knows the destiny of the championship is outside his control with one race remaining.
He will go into the final round at Valencia in two weeks’ time trailing the reigning three-time title winner, Spain’s Marc Marquez, who was fourth, by a massive 21 points, meaning that the Repsol Honda rider needs only to finish 11th to win a sixth world title.
The odds are stacked against Dovizioso, who said: “It will be very difficult at Valencia because it’s a track where Marquez always goes well.”
But he added: “We’ll be going to Spain with confidence to try to bring home the victory.
“I am very pleased with the win, which keeps my hopes alive for the title. This was a truly perfect weekend: we were quick, both in the dry and in the wet, and in the rain of the race we dominated.”
Dovizioso was fourth in the early stages, led by Frenchman Johann Zarco from Lorenzo, but then he took third from Marquez on the fifth lap and closed in on Lorenzo.
They had the pace, and both took Zarco at half distance to head the pack. Lorenzo had the edge, but with five laps remaining, the former champion made a costly error, holding on grimly to prevent a crash and Dovizioso seized the opportunity to charge through and take the victory, by 0.743secs from him, with Zarco a comfortable third.
Marquez crossed the line a distant fourth.
“This wasn’t the race to win the title but rather one to get closer to it,” he said.