Lewis will leave the same huge hole in F1 when he quits that Bolt will when he hangs up his spikes
HE break in Formula One since t he last race in Germany couldn’t have come at a better time as it gave me a chance to really enjoy the Olympics. Just seeing the determination and dedication of all those athletes in Rio was amazing and I had a chance to watch sports that I wouldn’t usually get a chance to see.
The highlight was watching Jade Jones win again in the taekwondo, although I really felt for Lutalo Muhammad, who was in gold position but just lost out.
Usain Bolt was also phenomenal, of course, and I find myself drawing an interesting comparison with the world’s fastest man and another who is no slouch in his field: Lewis Hamilton.
Here are two guys who lead the way in their chosen careers, who dedicate themselves totally to their sport, both in their training and in having the right mental edge to race all the way to the finish line. They are very personable and also have that ‘Hollywood factor’ that makes them instantly recognisable.
However, there the similarities end. Where Bolt seems to have been able to bring the whole world together behind him, Lewis, for some reason, hasn’t been able to achieve that sort of adoration. I find it strange that two men can elicit such diverse reactions from fans and the media alike.
Take it from me, though, Lewis will leave the same sort of huge hole in F1 when he calls it a day that Bolt will leave in the world of athletics when he hangs up his running spikes next year.
Just like Bolt Lewis is totally geared up to win every race and he will come into this weekend at Spa feeling the racing bug again. Yes, he’s had a couple of trips to the Caribbean and been to New York during the four-week break but that’s probably done him good. Now the serious business starts again.
While he is only 19 points clear of his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg in the championship, the momentum is with the Brit, who has won an amazing 135 of the last 150 points on offer since the pair came together at the Spanish Grand Prix in May.
And Spa provides the perfect challenge for F1’s return. Set in perfect scenery in the Ardennes forest,t, the track is an abso-absolute rollercoaster ride…ide… and it’s no won-wonder it’s a favourite forfor drivers and fans.
It provides a magicalical challenge as it has all the ingredientss drivers want: the sweeping Eau Rougeuge combination that the guys will hit flat out before going blindd over the crest off Raidillon and into the Kemmel straight, where theyhey will be hitting 210mph.mph.
Then they’ll needd to slam on the brakes as theyey go into Les Combes, wherehere they will be pulling gravitationalnal forces of about 5G. So, it has fastt and slow, great technical sections and, most important, opportunities to pass. Formula One has the best drivers in the best cars, so they need to be tested to the max — and Spa does that . Me Mercedes clearly have ththe best cars and normallynormall this would be a straight fight between the two. HowHowever, Hamilton’s decision to take an engine penalty,pena which could ss ee n d h i m to the backb of the grid makesm things very interesting.in Nobody has won a Grand Prix starting from that position but Lewis is the one man in the sport youy could see rewritingrew the record books.boo As for the other teams, Red Bull have done a great job this season and should do well, despite them lacking the flat-out speed that Mercedes possess.
Max Verstappen, even though he races under the Dutch flag, was born in Belgium, where his mum is from. He has made such a big bang this season. He has an old head on young shoulders and will have plenty of ‘home’ support.
As for Daniel Ricciardo, he won here two years ago and should have been on top of the podium this season at Monaco. Even though he is 83 points behind second-placed Nico, he’ll be well up for getting more points.
So, can Lewis win? Remember this is Spa, where you can always expect the unexpected.
QUICK CROSSWORD