Lewis looks back in winning vein

LEWIS HAMILTON is out for blood in the second half of the Formula One season as he seeks to overturn Sebastian Vettel’s championship lead.

Hamilton, who will compete in his 200th race here in the Ardennes as the sport returns to action after the summer break, is 14 points adrift of Vettel with nine grands prix remaining.

Surprisingly, there will be no celebration of Hamilton’s landmark ahead of tomorrow’s Belgian Grand Prix. No cake and no staged photographs, perhaps at Hamilton’s request in view of not being distracted from his title charge.

Hamilton has finished on the podium just once in his last four outings and can ill-afford to lose further ground to Vettel in his quest for a fourth title.

The fast-sweeping nature of the SpaFrancorchamps circuit is expected to suit Hamilton’s Mercedes and, on the evidence of practice, he will be in prime position to get his title assault back on track. Hamilton, also bidding to match Michael Schumacher’s all-time pole record of 68 in qualifying today, was comfortably fastest in practice with his Ferrari rival Vettel a distant fifth.

“I thought about so many different things during the summer,” said Hamilton.

“I thought about how many races I have left and how many seasons I have left. The one thing that’s for sure – and the most prominent thing – is that I’m here for HAMILTON blood. I am

here to win. I’m here to stay.”

Today, he has another chance to match Schumacher’s pole haul at the scene of the seven-time champion’s first F1 victory 25 years ago.

Little is known of the German’s current condition following his skiing accident in 2013, but Mick Schumacher, 18, will commemorate his father’s first win by driving his world championship-winning Benetton in the moments ahead of tomorrow’s race.