ASH HELPS HIMSELF TO A DOUBLE
KNOCKHILL Hamilton insists runaway success won’t turn heads back at the office
ASH SUTTON produced two carboncopy performances to claim a win double in the British Touring Car Championship at Knockhill.
Team BMW’s Colin Turkington put his Laser Tools Racing rival under intense pressure during both encounters, but Sutton defended brilliantly around the tight and twisty Scottish circuit. “This is the best ever touring car I’ve driven,” said 2017 champion Sutton above). Turkington took two secondplace finishes, but the BMW star’s advantage to Sutton in the standings has been reduced to just 10 points. “I’m not really worried about the points at this stage,” said Turkington. “We’re only four weekends in, with five still to go.”
ANOTHER day, another routine win for Lewis Hamilton in what is becoming an increasingly one-sided season.
This time it was the iconic Spa-Francorchamps course deep in the glorious Ardennes forest which the Briton conquered.
The Mercedes star led every lap from pole to claim a fifth win this season in his pursuit of a recordequalling seventh world title.
And this latest victory, the 89th of his glittering career, moves him two from Michael Schumacher’s all-time record in a race which saw fellow Briton George Russell avoid a serious crash.
Hamilton said: “I know it is not what everyone wants to see – a Mercedes at the front – but no matter how much success we have we just keep our heads down.
“Back at the office, there are no guys celebrating. It is all about how we can win the next race.
“I am 35 going towards 36, but I feel better than ever.”
Perhaps not what Hamilton’s rivals want to hear, with the Briton showing no signs of slowing down.
But despite the dominant nature of the win, the six-time world champ had fears his tyres would deny him the triumph.
“It wasn’t the easiest of races,” Hamilton said. “I had a lock-up into turn five which gave me a vibration on the tyre. It was a bit of a struggle.
“I was nervous we might have a scenario like Silverstone where I had the puncture, so I was nursing it to the end.” It was a largely incident free grand prix, though Russell, 22, was fortunate to escape unscathed after his Williams was hit by Antonio Giovinazzi’s wheel when he crashed out.
However Hamilton managed to avoid any trouble, and will now head to Ferrari’s home race at Monza this weekend. He takes with him a mighty 47-point lead over Red Bull racer Max Verstappen, who came in third behind Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas.
But the Dutchman was less than impressed and said: “It was pretty boring. Not much to do.
“I couldn’t keep up with them when they started pushing. The last eight laps I was just backing it out and saving the tyres.” Boring perhaps, but Hamilton will have few complaints.