SNOOZE , YOU LEWS
Coulthard: It’s World title No.5 for Hamilton unless Vettel & Co step up a gear
Rd Date Race 1 Next Sun Australia 2 Apr 8 Bahrain 3 Apr 15 China 4 Apr 29 Azerbaijan 5 May 13 Spain 6 May 27 Monaco 7 Jun 10 Canada 8 Jun 24 France 9 Jul 1 Austria 10 Jul 8 Britain 11 Jul 22 Germany 12 Jul 29 Hungary 13 Aug 26 Belgium 14 Sept 2 Italy 15 Sept 16 Singapore 16 Sept 30 Russia 17 Oct 7 Japan 18 Oct 21 USA 19 Oct 28 Mexico 20 Nov 11 Brazil 21 Nov 25 Abu Dhabi
Pos Pts 1st 25 2nd 18 3rd 15 4th 12 5th 10
Pos Pts 6th 8 7th 6 8th 4 9th 2 10th 1
Lewis Hamilton Sebastian Vettel Max Verstappen
Fernando Alonso
If it’s level on points at the end of the season, the driver with most wins will be the champion
4/6 7/2 8/1 (right) 22/1
Pos Driver 1 Lewis Hamilton 2 Sebastian Vettel 3 Valtteri Bottas 4 Kimi Raikkonen 5 Daniel Ricciardo Best of the rest 11 Felipe Massa 15 Fernando Alonso 17 Jolyon Palmer
Pos 1 Mercedes 2 Ferrari
Pts 668 552 UK 6.10am 4.10pm 7.10am 1.10pm 2.10pm 2.10pm 7.10pm 3.10pm 2.10pm 2.10pm 2.10pm 2.10pm 2.10pm 2.10pm 1.10pm 12.10pm 6.10am 7.10pm 7.10pm 5.10pm 1.10pm TV Sky Spts F1 SSF1 & C4 SSF1 SSF1 & C4 SSF1 SSF1 & C4 SSF1 SSF1 SSF1 & C4 SSF1 & C4 SSF1 SSF1 SSF1 & C4 SSF1 SSF1 & C4 SSF1 SSF1 & C4 SSF1 & C4 SSF1 SSF1 SSF1 & C4
Team Wins Pts Mercedes 9 363 Ferrari 5 317 Mercedes 3 305 Ferrari 0 205 Red Bull 1 200
Williams 0 McLaren 0 Renault 0
43 17 8
Pos Pts 3 Red Bull 368 4 Force India 187 DAVID COULTHARD reckons Lewis Hamilton will have a real battle to retain his title – but only if Sebastian Vettel has learnt his lessons.
The British World champion will rekindle his fierce rivalry with Ferrari’s leading driver, provided the German eliminates the mistakes that cost him dear last season.
Vettel eventually finished 46 points behind Hamilton, but Coulthard is adamant the drivers’ championship should have been a lot closer.
And the respected pundit (below) – believes that if four-time champ Vettel makes better decisions, then he will reap the rewards.
Coulthard said: “I’m looking forward to a more competitive battle between Mercedes and Ferrari. In the end, it was comfortable for Lewis.
“From what I’ve seen in testing in Barcelona, Ferrari will be very strong – and that bodes well.
“But, irrespective of the car, if I was in Seb’s shoes, I’d be looking at myself just as much and wondering how I could cut the gap on Lewis.
“I’d be looking back at two incidents – what happened last season in Singapore and Baku.
“Sebastian took out Max Verstappen and then drove into Lewis in Azerbaijan.
“Were those mistakes? Did they cost him? I think there is a straightforward answer to those questions – yes. I want to see if he has learnt as, in an equal car, Seb has shown he is right there.
“Lewis has proved he is a wheel-to-wheel racer. I think Seb has that in his locker, it’s just that we don’t regard him like that because we haven’t seen it as often.
“But I want to see that rivalry. Lewis says he wants a battle – it’s up to Seb to give him one.”
Valtteri Bottas was hot on Vettel’s heels as the points total was totted up, but Coulthard said the Finn still has questions to answer before he can see the scrap developing into a three-way affair. He added: “If Valterri can do what Nico Rosberg did and go toe-to-toe with Lewis, that’s one big question still to answer.” A fifth triumph for Hamilton will draw him level with Juan Manuel Fangio in world crowns.
There has been chatter that the Brit’s motivation might not be what it was.
But might the prospect of overhauling Michael Schumacher’s seven titles be a realistic goal?
Coulthard said: “Lewis has been in F1 long enough to know that it is difficult to execute a long-term plan like that.
“When you’re in the race, you are taking it corner by corner and then lap by lap.
“The reality is that long-term goals happen because of short-term planning and the ability to execute those plans.”
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