Commentary box

The Hamilton supremacy

“There’s life left in the Formula One Championship yet,” says Daniel Johnson in The Daily Telegraph. After a winless four months that “must have seemed like an eternity”, Lewis Hamilton was supreme once again at the US Grand Prix. He came across as a beacon of serenity – unrecognisable from the “unsettled” driver who walked out of a press conference in Japan two weeks ago. It was the 50th victory of Hamilton’s career, and it could prove to be one of the most significant: it put him 26 points behind Nico Rosberg, with three races to go. Overtaking his Mercedes teammate and arch-rival would be a tall order indeed. But if Rosberg slips up, Hamilton could still pull off a “great escape”.

The best All Blacks of all

It’s official, says Paul Rees in The Observer. Statistically, at least, this All Blacks side are the greatest rugby team of all time. They registered a record 18th consecutive victory last Saturday, beating Australia 37-10. (Cyprus have done better, with a record of 24 straight wins, but they only play the likes of Azerbaijan and Bulgaria.) At home, New Zealand are unbeaten in the professional era: this was their 45th victory in a row at Eden Park. But that’s not to say that they’re infallible. They weren’t firing on all cylinders against Australia, yet they have so many match-winners in the side that they still scored six tries. This team can play much better – and one suspects “the best is yet to come”.