Brazilian test awaits Hami, Merc
them out- perform Mercedes, restricting their advantage to 55 points with two races remaining.
NO CELEBRATORY
T- SHIRTS ?
Wolff has consistently rejected all title talk in advance and ignored suggestions the team have come equipped with the now- traditional celebratory teeshirts for a Sunday night party.
To allow him to drop that guard, Hamilton and Bottas must out- score Ferrari’s pair of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen by 13 points, but this season has seen them achieve that only twice so far in 19 attempts.
Much therefore will depend upon the level of motivation that drives Hamilton in Sunday’s race when he and Bottas, who grabbed pole last year, carry the bonus hopes of the team in their hands.
It is, as four- time champion Alain Prost observed, a tricky moment for the champion even as he seeks his record- increasing 82nd pole and Mercedes’ 100th in F1. To underline Ferrari’s challenge, Vettel is the driver with the best current record in Brazil with three wins, including last year’s race, and a determination to finish his season on a high.
Red Bull’s aggressive pairing of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, who won in Mexico, will also be a serious threat in a race in which heavy rain has often played an influential role.