The British Lewis Hamilton is poised to become, as early as Sunday, October 21 at the Grand Prix of the United States, in Austin, the third driver in the history of formula 1 to win five titles of world drivers champion. It may be equal, and the Argentine Juan-Manuel Fangio (1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957) and the German Michael Schumacher, who holds the record of seven coronations (1994, 1995, and 2000 to 2004). Back on the season through five key moments. Taken head-to-Baku
They are two quadruple world champions to line up at the start of the season 2018, which opens in Melbourne on march 25 : Lewis Hamilton, 33 years, driver, Mercedes, and Sebastian Vettel, 30 years at Ferrari. The chances are balanced : the Ferrari are very competitive while the team Mercedes says it is worried and fears the wear after four years at the top.
Vettel starts with two wins, in Australia and Bahrain, and covers the fourth appointment of the season, on 29 April in Baku (Azerbaijan), head of the drivers ‘ standings. But, on the urban layout and technique, that is conducive to friction, Lewis Hamilton is going to reverse the trend.
Third behind Valtteri Bottas, his team-mate, finn, and Sebastian Vettel, who started in pole position, the British will seize his chance in the 48th round. The German, launched in an attempt to upbeat to Finnish, blocks its wheels and turns off, allowing Hamilton to pass. Three laps from the end, of the debris will have the skin of the tires of Bottas. Lewis Hamilton wins and takes the lead in the general classification.
Failure and the end of the series in Austria
to Run at the home of the patron, the Austrian Toto Wolff does not succeed to the silver arrows, the nickname given to Mercedes. The two cars are, however, parties coast to coast on the first line of the circuit of Spielberg on the 1st of July, with Valtteri Bottas in the pole. But this last one should drop to the 14th round (out of 71) due to failure of hydraulic equipment.
Lewis Hamilton, struggling with his tires, abandoned in its turn forty laps later. It is the end of a series of 33 races finished in the points for the leading Mercedes.
Red Bull in his fief welcomes it, victory for Max Verstappen in front of the two Ferraris of Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel.
fashion show in Shanghai, sauna in Singapore
Tuesday, September 4, the Bund, the old historic port of Shanghai, hosts a fashion show that is unprecedented, organized by the american designer Tommy Hilfiger to present the collection initiated by Lewis Hamilton, TommyXLewis. Global ambassador of the brand, the driver has a lot invested in the development and the promotion of his ” brand “.
This parallel activity time-consuming worries in the elite of motorsport, Toto Wolff in the lead, even if the latter defends her foal. On the eve of the Singapore Grand Prix, the 16th of September, the british daily the Sun has made the accounts : in ten days, Lewis Hamilton has travelled 40 000 kilometres and spent fifty-three hours in the air.
does he Have the physical strength necessary to ensure on the track of Singapore, one of the most difficult races of the calendar — night, moist and very hot ? The British won, with his 69th victory, after ” be gone at the end of [himself] “. A photo shows sold out, springing from his seat in a sweat, veins protruding.
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Logs in Sochi
Valtteri Bottas earned his first win with Mercedes, on April 30, 2017, here, on the circuit of Sochi (Russia), a racetrack that he loves. At the end of September of this year, there are signs his second pole of the season, ahead of Lewis Hamilton. At the end of a comeback in the bottom of the pack, Max Verstappen (Red Bull) leads ahead of the Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton. Fourth, Sebastian Vettel threat. Toto Wolff sum then the Finnish to pass his team-mate, what he does on turn 25. Verstappen spent at the booth, the spring fifth. Lewis Hamilton wins again.
The team boss of Mercedes assumes the setpoint of the race, explaining that he prefers to pass for a villain in Sochi rather than to an idiot at Abu Dhabi (race closing) and that they should ” give preference to the title race “. “Five races to the end of the season, (…) he had seven points in the game. In count 43, or 50 ahead of Vettel, this is not the same story, ” makes sense.
Magnanimity in Suzuka
Lewis Hamilton won the Grand Prix of Japan, the 7th of October at Suzuka. Sebastian Vettel finished sixth after missing her qualifications and will be hung in the race with the Dutch Max Verstappen (Red Bull) after an exceedance hazardous. A clumsiness that earned him a number of criticisms, especially in the press.
The Uk may, therefore, be a great lord with his rival. “I think the media should show more respect towards Sebastian. You can’t imagine how to do what we do at this level is hard. (…) We are human, it is necessary to therefore expect us to make mistakes, the important thing is how we are going through. “
Him, finally, ” has not made a mistake this season “, as underlined by Toto Wolff. “Lewis is very, very strong in the head. It is on a wave is incredible. “It could, upon Sunday, wearing it at the same level as Fangio and Schumacher in F1 history.
Two figures to keep in mind before the Grand Prix of Austin 100
This is the number of points remaining to distribute by the end of the world championship of Formula 1. A victory earns 25 points. The following classification at the finish of a race collect 18 points (2nd), 15 points (3rd), 12 points, 10 points, 8 points, 6 points, 4 points, 2 points and 1 point for the pilot came 10th.
67
This is the number of points ahead of Lewis Hamilton on Sebastian Vettel in the drivers ‘ standings. It is sufficient that the British Mercedes wins, and that the driver of the Ferrari doesn’t score more than 8 points, to win the title. Sebastian Vettel could catch up with the leader in the points if he wins the last three Grand Prix, but Lewis Hamilton wins a 5th crown, the number of wins – nine against five before Austin.
