ISLANDS IN THE DREAM
Cast adrift by on-track woes and an off-track bust-up with fans as he took respite in Mykonos ...now Lew’s back on home shores in a bid to kickstart his title hopes
LEWIS HAMILTON is a man on an island, searching for answers, before his dream sinks without trace.
Stripped of the world title he had held for two years in a season of bitter disputes with his Mercedes team-mate, Nico Rosberg, this was supposed to be the year the lead disciple of the church of Senna reclaimed his throne.
Rosberg’s sudden retirement, days after winning his maiden crown, to be replaced by Valtteri Bottas, left the path clear for Hamilton to rule the world for a fourth time in 10 years.
But nine races into the 2017 campaign, Hamilton has arrived at his home Grand Prix – a race he has owned since 2014 – as a racer who badly needs a weekend to remember.
For the first time in three
years, he has gone back-toback races without finishing in the podium positions.
His on-track clashes with Sebastian Vettel in Azerbaijan saw him sink to fifth in a race he could have won, while a five-place grid penalty last week in Austria handed him such a disadvantage he would have been glad to finish fourth and limit the damage.
In an attempt to reboot his internal engine, Hamilton caused more controversy this week when he decided to skip a London street event, being jeered by disgruntled fans at home, while he lay on a beach in Mykonos four days before hoping to win his fourth consecutive British GP.
Having swapped the Greek island for the one on which he was born, the driver claims he needed the break, and now has his focus lasertrained on tomorrow’s race. “I definitely feel great,” he said. “Driving around the track today has been incredible, seeing the fans.
“Every time I go out, I get to wave to the fans, and that is one of the greatest feelings when you see them and the response you get.
“It definitely is one of the best circuits. It was a mixture of business and pleasure today. It was incredible. I love this track and l love driving it.
“It is the most amazing feeling driving this circuit. Every year it gets better but this has been a big step. We still can’t do Copse flat, maybe we will in qualifying. The run-off area is the issue – Felipe Massa’s car went to pieces when he went over the kerbs.
“The speed we are able to carry through the corners is unbelievable. It was already pretty amazing in the last couple of years but today… your wildest imagination doesn’t come close.
“We are flat through Turn One and the car just doesn’t move. Stowe is just so fast. I wish l could stand on the apex of Stowe and watch these cars come through because it must be scary!”
“Each weekend we are learning more about the car. This weekend we have started on the right foot. Generally, we start on the wrong foot and then have to make some drastic changes. We will definitely have a less stressful evening compared to somewhere like Montreal.”
Hamilton’s problems quickly fade next to those being suffered by Red Bull teenager Max Verstappen.
The Dutchman has been fifth three times this season and third once, but has failed to finish in the other five races, including the last three in a row.
When asked if maybe he would consider taking a break between back-to-back races like Hamilton, he said: “If it makes him faster he should do that. But I think English fans would have liked to see him there.
“If I did that in Holland, they would have shot me.”