Lewis Hamilton takes a 28 point lead in the Drivers' Championship. Can he be caught?
It was supposed to be a weekend of damage limitation for Lewis Hamilton & Mercedes. The Silver Arrows looked to be the third quickest car throughout practice and qualifying – behind Ferrari & Red Bull – but the race was turned on its head. Vettel, Raikkonen & Verstappen collected each other from the start, leaving Hamilton a clear road ahead. He duly obliged, and took the chequered flag, having been 16/1 with some bookies pre-race.
Hamilton now leads the Drivers’ Championship by 28 points – the biggest lead for any driver this season. The British driver has now won three races in a row (Belgium, Italy & Singapore), swinging the Championship massively back in his favour. He has shortened from 2/5 to just 1/7 to take his fourth title, and with just six races remaining looks to be in control.
Vettel on the other hand has drifted out from 6/4 to 9/2 after Sunday’s events. However, it would be foolish to assume the Championship is over. Vettel has recovered from bigger deficits in the past. He trailed by 31 points in 2010 with six races to go and by 42 points with nine races to go in 2012. The German does need instant success though, starting with the Malaysian Grand Prix in a fortnight’s time.
Vettel trails by 28pts with 6 races to go, but...
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 17, 2017
2010:
Trailed by 31 with 6 to go
Won by 4
2012:
Trailed by 42 with 9 to go
Won by 3 pic.twitter.com/orX2lOGgPo
Malaysia is of course where Hamilton famously broke down last season, which arguable cost him the championship. Ferrari and Vettel may now need a similar occurrence to give them a chance of winning a first drivers title since 2007.
Oddschecker spokemans George Elek: "Hamilton's rain dance paid off as he landed what looked an unlikely victory over the weekend. It would be a shock should he not win the driver's championship from this position though, and is now as short as 9/1 to win Sports Personality of the Year."
