CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS FORMULA JUAN

Hamilton out to emulate his hero, the great Fangio, and claim his FIFTH world championship

LEWIS HAMILTON will climb into his Mercedes tomorrow and drive towards another date with destiny.

The 33-year-old will be world champion for the fifth time if he beats Sebastian Vettel by an eight-point margin at the US GP.

Hamilton started his quest for success in Austin with the fastest time in first practice – and if he takes that speed into the race and wins and Vettel is third, then the title will be the British star’s.

It will take him one title ahead of his biggest current rival Vettel, level with F1 ‘godfather’ Juan Manuel Fangio and two behind Michael Schumacher’s legendary mark of seven.

The German’s haul was considered out of reach, but ex-world champion Nigel Mansell believes Hamilton can match it after confirming he will stay at Mercedes until 2020 following agreement earlier this season on a £40-million-a-year deal.

Mansell, 65, said: “Lewis is on a crest of a wave and I predict that within the next few years he will get his seventh world title.

“The confidence of winning puts you on another level, and if he keeps his desire I can’t see anyone challenging him next season.

“Vettel will be there or thereabouts, but Lewis is racing in a different stratosphere because he has been able to build his momentum, race-by-race, year-by-year.”

Mansell, the 1992 world champ, had won more races than any Brit until Hamilton surpassed him, and he added: “Will Lewis go down as one of the greatest drivers of all time? Of course and he should, but times are very different now.

“I broke my back three times, I broke my neck, and my feet were in bits because the pedals were six inches behind the front of the car.

“I believe the great drivers are those that competed with no seatbelts, no crash helmets, and if you were involved in an accident there was a 50-50 chance you’d die.”

Hamilton’s Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff has no doubt of Hamilton’s standing: “With six race victories in the last seven races, Lewis has shown what a class act he is. Both on and off the track he is more complete than ever before.”

As Hamilton plotted glory in his 226th race, Brit Lando Norris, 18, who races for Mclaren next term, was given an outing in Stoffel Vandoorne’s car and was 12th fastest with double world champion team-mate Fernando Alonso 11th.