Lewis Hamilton is on the brink of greatness as fourth world title zooms into view

Champion-elect praises the professionalism of his team as Vettel blows up again
Clive Mason/Getty Images
Kevin Eason9 October 2017

It is not in the fleeting moments of social media that Lewis Hamilton’s status will be recorded, but in Formula One’s history books.

The Briton has one hand on a fourth world championship trophy today after winning the Japanese Grand Prix to open up a 59-point lead over Sebastian Vettel with just four races left this season. He expected a battle with Vettel but got a walkover after the German’s Ferrari let him down for the second time in consecutive races.

Hamilton now needs to score 16 points more than Vettel in Texas in 13 days’ time to become not just the champion but a legend: the greatest British racing driver of all time, overtaking Sir Jackie Stewart with four titles, 61 victories and 71 pole positions. Only Michael Schumacher stands ahead of him in F1’s queue of greats.

Even as the helicopter blades were whirring overhead to whisk Hamilton from the Suzuka circuit last night, he could not wait to share his joy with his millions of Instagram followers. “Once again, I feel an abundance of love and support. I don’t know why such good things are happening, but all I can say is I am grateful,” his message said.

Clearly, events at this race a year ago are long forgotten, when Hamilton suffered a psychological meltdown - appropriately on the same social media platform - that led to his losing the 2016 title to Nico Rosberg, his Mercedes team-mate. This season, he is the one riding his good luck in a car that has refused to let him down so far.

Hamilton was quick to praise the team, saying: “I have to put it down to them. They have done a phenomenal job. Reliability has really been on point.

“They are just so meticulous and that is really why we have the reliability we have. I was excited about having a good race with Sebastian here but he’s obviously been incredibly unfortunate. In Formula One, it is a lot about reliability and the team’s whole performance, not just speed on the track, and Mercedes have shown for many years now that we have a very solid platform.”

Before the weekend started, Luca di Montezemolo, the former Ferrari president who guided the famous marque to a run of world championships, warned Vettel and his team that they must be “perfect” to win the title. But there was no perfection in the broken spark plug that ended Vettel’s race almost before it started.

Photo: AFP/Getty Images
AFP/Getty Images

The trophy cupboard remains empty after four seasons with the team Vettel dreamed of driving for to attempt to emulate Schumacher, his fellow countryman and mentor. After 56 grands prix in red, Vettel has only seven wins to his name and a title teetering on the edge of a cliff.

Only a miracle can save his hopes now - and the jobs of senior executives who looked as anxious as Vettel as they trooped out of a dark Suzuka circuit. The appointment as team principal of Maurizio Arrivabene, a cigarette salesman with Marlboro, looks more bizarre than ever after Ferrari’s championship spiralled out of control in the space of just six weeks.

Vettel has signed a new long-term contract with the Scuderia, but he scuttled out of Japan as fast as he could, probably wondering whether the dream was shattered forever. Mercedes look as dominant as they have over the past four seasons of success, rejuvenated since the summer break under the direction of their new technical director James Allison - the man Ferrari fired a year ago.

After all the speculation over Hamilton’s future, he would seem certain to renew his £30 million-a-year deal with Mercedes and aim for at least one more title with more records waiting to be shattered. Hamilton has already won eight grands prix this season and at this rate, he may yet overtake Schumacher’s haul of 91 wins, a total once thought beyond reach.

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