HAMILTON’S IN A LEAGUE OF HIS OWN
Mercedes ace on the verge of a fifth world title after another Vettel blunder hands him victory and proves that...
IT is a measure of Lewis Hamilton’ s total mastery of the track that sebastian Vettel has been reduced to the type of self- damaging, gung- ho gamble that practically gift-wrapped the world title for the Briton here yesterday.
in the mid-afternoon sun, eight laps in, Vettel tried to force his Ferrari inside Max Verstappen’s Red Bull at the left-handed spoon curve, and crashed.
He fought from the back of the field to finish sixth. But the mistake reflected precisely the predicament weighing on Vettel’s slim shoulders.
simply, Vettel cannot match Hamilton, who is 67 points ahead of his Ferrari rival and can secure a fifth world title in two weeks’ time by winning the Us Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, provided the German finishes worse than second place.
Yesterday’s blunder was Vettel’s seventh error of the season. He has lost 75 points to Hamilton in the last seven races.
What made this latest, spark-inducing error all the stranger was that Vettel would anyway have passed Verstappen in the pits because the Dutchman had a fivesecond penalty to serve for an earlier indiscretion.
But for the crash, Vettel, who started eighth after a strategic miscalculation by his team and then one by himself in qualifying, would likely have finished third. He now needs a miracle to overhaul the champion.
Vettel defended his decision to take on Verstappen as they decelerated from 190mph into spoon. ‘i would do the same again,’ he said. ‘Don’t put me down as arrogant, but the gap was there. i don’t think there was anything wrong with trying.
‘How many times can you afford to wait? i am racing not just him, but the guys in front. i had similar encounters with others and we managed to make it into the corner. it is not the prime overtaking spot, but if you are side-by-side then it is fair. i did my best to try to avoid contact, but if he keeps closing, where i am supposed to go?’
Verstappen did not see it that way, suggesting Vettel was fortunate to escape punishment.
Vettel’s eyes betrayed his wider problem — that of a four-time world champion being exposed as mortal — as he spoke in the paddock afterwards. To his credit, he answered every question as civilly as any broken man could.
But Hamilton was closer to the mark when he said: ‘Ferrari have lost a lot of performance and it has been difficult for them. i would love to have had a race right to the end of the championship. Every single round i want battles like the one i had at Monza. Those are the situations i love, but unfortunately it isn’t the case now.
‘i can’t let that take away from the great job we are doing and our happiness. i have always been able to go head to head with the guy i am competing against. Who breaks earlier and falters is the answer to the ultimate challenge.
‘We are in a psychological battle. All the team put in 100 per cent and have delivered time and time again. i am grateful to have delivered my part.’
The mood in the Mercedes team afterwards was one of restrained jubilation. Nobody wanted to celebrate too hard before the job is complete.
But after the team orders debate of last week, when Valtteri Bottas was moved aside in Russia so Hamilton would win, it was at least a straightforward one-two to hail without any internal conflicts of emotion.
Hamilton finished 12.9sec ahead
of Bottas. Verstappen, whose car was largely unscathed in the Vettel collision but for a slightly damaged floor, came third. Daniel Ricciardo fourth and Kimi Raikkonen fifth.
Hamilton’s smooth victory was his sixth in seven races, equalling his best ever streak from 2014. Further, he topped each practice session and qualifying.
And now on to America, where Hamilton has won for the last four seasons. If he does so again, the Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi grands prix are likely to be no more than victory laps.
Verstappen was angry when he was given a five- second penalty after veering off at the chicane and coming on abrasively close to Raikkonen. He was found not to have returned to the track safely.
The Dutchman said: ‘What the f***, honestly. I tried to do the best I could. He drives around the outside. He could easily have waited for me to come back.’
A word of support for Vettel: prior to his mistake, he had zipped impressively from eighth to fourth on the first lap, including a fine move on Romain Grosjean. A safety car soon came out after Charles Leclerc went into the back of Kevin Magnussen.
Moments later came Vettel’s revealing mistake.
He finally registered the fastest lap, but it was cold comfort on an afternoon that presaged Hamilton’s imminent confirmation, as Vettel knew most brutally, as the supreme champion of his era.