Formula 1's Latest Rumours & Talk: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes on Rosberg and More
Lewis Hamilton's victory in the Singapore Grand Prix has seen the British driver return to the top of the Formula One drivers' championship for the first time in four months.
Despite now having a three-point advantage over Nico Rosberg, his Mercedes teammate and title rival, the 2008 world champion has claimed that he still feels very much like the chaser with only five races of the season remaining and has vowed to maintain a run of form which has seen him win the last two grands prix.
The main reason why Hamilton has overhauled a 29-point deficit in just two races is Nico Rosberg's retirement from the race in Singapore, with his second non-finish of the season arguably coming at the worst possible time.
Mercedes have explained just why Rosberg, who started from the pit lane, suffered such a difficult evening at the Marina Bay street circuit and the thought process that led to the decision to retire the No. 6 car at the German's first stop.
Another man who endured a difficult race in Singapore was Kevin Magnussen, who required medical attention after the grand prix having suffered burns from the seat of his McLaren.
Although he was by no means on fire, Sebastian Vettel showed signs of getting back to his best at a venue where he has won on three previous occasions, with the reigning world champion securing his best finish of the season under the floodlights.
Vettel, though, was unimpressed by Hamilton's pass for the lead as the race entered its latter stages.
Closing this week's roundup is the latest speculation surrounding Fernando Alonso, who might find himself answering the door to Honda's bigwigs at the Japanese Grand Prix in a fortnight's time.
Lewis Hamilton Keen to Retain Chasers' Instinct Despite Points Lead
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Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he will retain the psychological stance that has allowed him to erode the championship lead of Nico Rosberg, his Mercedes teammate.
Rosberg enjoyed a healthy 29-point cushion over Hamilton, his title rival, after last month's Belgian Grand Prix, but now trails the British driver by three points having taken just 18 points—as opposed to Hamilton's 50—from the following two races in Italy and Singapore.
And Hamilton, the 2008 world champion, believes he is more suited to the offensive demands of chasing rather than the more conservative approach that comes with protecting a points lead.
The 29-year-old was quoted by Sky Sports' Pete Gill as stating:
"In my head, the best I thought l could do here was claiming seven points back and I’d have to keep chipping away at it. Instead, all of a sudden, it’s 25 points caught up.
I still feel like I am hunting, I still feel like I am chasing—and that’s a good feeling.
This is game time. This is about hunting. In my head, I don’t think I am leading the championship. There are still five races left and all I’m going to do is what I’ve done in the last two races which is just attack every session.
"
Mercedes Reveal Cause of Nico Rosberg's Singapore GP Retirement
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Mercedes have revealed the reason behind Nico Rosberg's retirement from the Singapore Grand Prix.
The 2014 world championship battle was turned on its head at the Marina Bay street circuit when Rosberg, who qualified second, was forced to start from the pit lane and went on to complete just 13 laps at a reduced pace before retiring, allowing teammate Lewis Hamilton to claim a relatively unchallenged victory.
Hamilton, in the process, has wiped out Rosberg's points advantage in the drivers' standings, with the British driver now leading by three points with just five grands prix remaining.
And Mercedes' motorsport boss Toto Wolff has blamed a broken wiring loom for Rosberg's second DNF of the campaign, telling Jonathan Noble of Autosport:
"It looks like a broken loom in the steering column, which was within the duty cycle and not towards the end of its life cycle.
It just shut the whole thing down.
The only thing that worked was the gear change and then the radio came back. There was no hybrid energy any more, so when we called him in we changed the steering wheel, and tried to get it going but it wouldn't.
The only way to get it going was to get first gear in at high revs, and this is when I said stop, we don't want to have a jack flying out of the rear of the car and hurting somebody.
He was a minute down by then, so that was it.
"
Kevin Magnussen Reflects on 'Very Tough' Singapore GP
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Kevin Magnussen's 10th-place finish in the Singapore Grand Prix as good enough for one point, but the rookie arguably deserved a medal for making the chequered flag.
Autosport's Jonathan Noble and Matt Beer revealed that the Dane "required medical attention for minor burns" after the race having been subjected to intense heat during the grand prix.
Magnussen, who started ninth, complained frequently over team radio of a burning sensation coming from his seat over the course of the race, which made the fluid in his in-car drinks bottle too hot to sip in the extremely humid, draining conditions of the Singapore street circuit.
The McLaren driver explained his difficulties to Noble and Beer of Autosport, stating:
"That was tough, very tough. At least we got one point.
I don't know if something was wrong, but my seat was very hot, so we have to check what's going on.
I couldn't even drink the water.
It's the hardest-earned point I've ever had. It's better than nothing.
"
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Sebastian Vettel Surprised by Lewis Hamilton Pass for Singapore GP Lead
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Sebastian Vettel has admitted that he was shocked by Lewis Hamilton's aggressive overtaking move for the lead in the Singapore Grand Prix.
The reigning world champion's two-stop strategy allowed him to briefly run at the front of the pack when Lewis Hamilton, the eventual race winner, pitted for the third and final time on the 52nd of the race's 60 laps.
Mercedes' pace advantage over Red Bull, however, was stark, with Hamilton soon working his way up to the rear of Vettel's car before completing the pass on the Raffles Boulevard straight, which features a DRS zone, on Lap 54.
And Vettel revealed that he thought Hamilton's decision to make his move at the kink on the straight, rather than the heavy braking zone up the road, was bewildering.
The German told Jonathan Noble and Matt Beer of Autosport:
"With the overtaking move I wasn't sure what he was doing.
I gave him all the space to pass me on the inside of next corner but it seemed he couldn't wait to get back in the lead.
I had to back off and let him through.
There was no point fighting. To finish P2 was the best we could do.
"
Honda to Make Push to Sign Fernando Alonso at Suzuka?
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The Singapore Grand Prix weekend marked 12 months since McLaren made their interest in re-signing Fernando Alonso known to the wider world, with then-team principal Martin Whitmarsh informing Sky Sports' Pete Gill of his desire to make the move.
And despite the Spaniard reaffirming his commitment to Ferrari for what seemed like the 1,000th time since last September at Marina Bay—telling Sky Sports' Pete Gill and Mike Wise of his anger that rumours over his future show no signs of going away—more speculation has emerged surrounding Alonso's plans.
This time, Speed Week (h/t Motorsport.com) has claimed that "Japanese sources are saying" that Honda—who will become McLaren's power-unit supplier from next season—will "move mountains" to secure the services of Alonso at next month's Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, a circuit owned by the manufacturer.
Honda's interest is so serious, in fact, that the Japanese company is reportedly "fully prepared to buy out the remainder of his lucrative Ferrari contract"—the Spaniard effectively admitted to ESPN F1 in July that his current deal is set to expire at the end of 2016—to get Alonso sitting in a McLaren for the 2015 campaign.
Meanwhile, BBC Sport's Andrew Benson has claimed that "the smoke signals within Ferrari are that the love between them and Alonso has long since died."
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