Lewis Hamilton Has One Hand on His 2nd Formula 1 Title After US Grand Prix Win
Race day at the United States Grand Prix marked exactly six years since Lewis Hamilton became the youngest-ever world champion in the history of Formula One.
The event held on November 2, 2008, at the Interlagos circuit in Brazil, the final round of that particular season, was arguably the most dramatic grand prix that the sport has ever seen, with the British driverโcompeting in just his second season with McLarenโgoing through a range of emotions before securing the crown.
Hamilton, you'll recall, arrived in Brazil with a seven-point lead over his championship rival, Felipe Massa, needing only a fifth-place finishโthis was back when 10 points were handed to the race winnerโto win the title.
And, while Massa converted pole position into his second victory on home soil, fifth was where Hamilton ran with relative ease for much of the grand prix before a rain shower distorted his plans in the latter stages of the race, dropping him to the dreaded sixth position behind Sebastian Vettel as he struggled for grip on intermediate tyres in the changing conditions.
Faced with losing the crown at the final round for the second season in succession, Hamilton tried in vain to re-pass Vettel, with all appearing to be lost until, of course, the pair of them crept up on Timo Glock, the Toyota driverโwho gambled on remaining on dry tyres as water tumbled from the skiesโat the last corner of the last lap of the year.ย
Hamilton followed Vettel past Glock and through to the line, putting a brutal end to Massa's 39-second stint as the champion of the world.
"My head was hurting, my brain was pounding and my heart was going crazy," was how Hamilton described the sensations in his autobiography, My Story, as he initially struggled to comprehend just what had occurred before his very eyes. "I could hardly move. I was trembling and fumbling. I was numbโI had a million emotions flowing through me all at once. I'd never felt anything like it in my life before."
If the nature of his 2008 title triumph led to Hamilton almost having an out-of-body experience, his second championship victoryโnow almost certain to be confirmed within the next three weeksโwill be comparatively hollow.
A 2014 season that had tortured and teased for so longโas the British driver and Nico Rosberg, his Mercedes teammate,ย have fought for the crownโis now unraveling.
Hamilton's second United States Grand Prix win in three yearsโhis third in total on American soilโhas given him a 24-point lead over Rosberg with just two races remaining.
And although there are still a maximum of 75 points to play for due to the rule which will see double points awarded at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Hamiltonโhaving extended his current winning streak to a career-best tally of five racesโseems for all the world like a double-world-champion-in-waiting. Sean Kelly noted Hamilton's record-setting career:
Like Vettel, his irritant of Brazil 2008, during the German's spell of dominance between 2010 and 2013, Hamilton now possesses the aura of an intense, ruthless racer and a formidable, unforgiving competitor who has characterised every multiple F1 title winner.
Such a spirit is both advantageous to the driver in question and daunting for his rivals, who are left almost defenceless against a supposed force of nature.
That was clear over the United States Grand Prix weekend: Even though Rosberg secured an extremely comfortable pole positionโ0.4 seconds was the gap between the Mercedes drivers in qualifying, as per the official F1 websiteโthere was always the sense that race day would become "The Lewis Hamilton Show."
Indeed, it took slightly longer than anticipated for the show to beginโthe British driver waited until Lap 24 of 56 to snatch the lead from his teammateโHamilton's decision to pace himselfย rather than impatiently and naively diving down the inside of Rosberg at the first opportunityโas he might have done a few years agoโhighlighted an inner confidence and belief that the moment would arise eventually.
And when he did get past, the 2008 world champion effectively shut down the race, preventing the German from retaliating to ultimately take the chequered flag by 4.3 seconds, according to Formula1.com.
Of the remaining races, Brazil carries the most potential as a banana skin, with Hamilton failing to finish higher than third in his previous seven visits to the Interlagos track and with the unpredictable weather, as the British driver knows too well, always threatening to cause havoc.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is regarded as the true test of nerve with 50 points set to be handed to the race winner, yet Hamilton's record at the Yas Island Marina Circuitโhe won the race in 2011, was on course for victory in 2012 before retiring and has recorded two poles at the trackโsuggests that only a once-in-a-lifetime performance from Rosberg would prevent the British driver from dominating.
Hamilton thanked his team and other supporters via Twitter:
"Thank you guys for all your support so far this season and also to the team for this amazing car! #TeamLH #USGP #COTA pic.twitter.com/gC2OspBRJO
โ Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) November 3, 2014"
After the United States Grand Prix, Hamilton, crucially, can now afford to finish second behind Rosberg in both Brazil and Abu Dhabi and still claim the world championship by three points.
Although concerns over Mercedes' reliability could prevent two one-two finishes, the team's lack of major car problems since September's Singapore Grand Prixโwhere Rosberg retired after just 16 lapsโsuggests the constructors' champions are over the worst of their issues.ย
While he stumbled over the finish line as a confused, disorientated yet victorious mess six years ago, Hamilton is now marching his way toward the title in the most assured, assertive and relaxed possible fashion.
Unlike in 2008, he is in complete controlโand it is increasingly difficult, even with double points lurking in the background, to imagine him letting it slip from such a commanding position.
