Race for title will go down to wire, says Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton is predicting that his championship battle with Sebastian Vettel will go down to the final race of the season – but has warned that his rival may prove difficult to beat.

Hamilton, 32, halved Vettel’s lead at the summit of the title race after he took the chequered flag in Belgium on Sunday to move to within seven points of the Ferrari driver.

Hamilton will head to Ferrari’ s home track in Monza – the first of three back- to- back instalments in the concluding half ofthe season–for Sunday’ s Italian Grand Prix well aware that is a circuit which again should favour his Mercedes package.

But the ensuing race in Singapore – a high- downforce track where Hamilton has struggled in recent seasons–could again prove his Achilles heel.

“I am cautious knowing that we may not be the quickest everywhere ahead, and I am trying to figure out in my mind how I can apply positive energy to my guys to encourage them to bring some more magic to the next eight races,” Hamilton said.

“I hope we have more to come in order to win this thing. It’s going to take everything from every single one of us to finish these next eight races and come out on top.”

Hamilton, who is bidding to become the first British driver to win four championships, looks set to stay at Mercedes after Vettel committed his future to Ferrari with a new three- year deal.

Hamilton’s current contract expires at the end of 2018, but his Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says talks over a new deal will not take place until the conclusion of the current campaign.