F1 Is Lewis Hamilton Done ?
Before the Singapore GP, I wrote an article with a similar title only I was referencing Jenson Button. The article can be found here : http://thef1poet.wordpress.com/2012/09/19/is-jenson-button-done/
While most of it still holds true, a new development is beginning to take shape. Prior to this past weekend’s GP, It was fairly clear to most F1 fans that Lewis Hamilton was Fernando Alonso’s biggest threat. McLaren clearly has the fastest car on any given weekend and both have momentum on their side.
The driver’s championship however, has been somewhat of an enigma this season. With this said, it is very difficult to draw conclusions or make predictions with any form of certainty.
Alonso still holds the lead, albeit shrinking, however the rival most likely to challenge him for it keeps moving about like a magician’s game of cups and balls. At one point it seemed Webber was going to be the one to take the fight to the Ferrari driver but now sits 62 points out but still ahead of Button. Button hasn’t been mathematically eliminated yet so he refuses to play a supporting role. As mentioned, Hamilton seemed to be the strongest threat but now sits 52 points behind Alonso and has been leap-frogged by Kimi Räikkönen by seven points.
The one driver who has quietly been in the mix has been Sebastian Vettel. The one known as “Finger Boy”, has now closed the gap to Alonso to 29 points. The points gap is still more than the sum of the total points of one victory, however with only six races left, it becomes ever more crucial.
Lewis Hamilton is by no means close to being eliminated as a threat to Alonso. The situation is such however, that with rivals and team-mates taking points away from each other, they are all playing a role in eliminating each other. This is a stark reality.
The only real glimmer of hope for anyone looking to take down the Spaniard, is that his Ferrari F2012 has proven that it is not the fastest car on the circuit on any given weekend. While it has been reliable, it hasn’t been the kindest to its tyres while it struggles for down-force and top end speed.
Ferrari know they must improve the car for the final races to hold off the charge. The cannot rely on the misfortunes of others. At this stage however, one must wonder if it would make sense for McLaren and Red Bull to pick their man and support the one with the best chance.
Hamilton might not be done yet, but time and luck are running out.
| Pos | Driver | Nationality | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fernando Alonso | Spanish | Ferrari | 194 |
| 2 | Sebastian Vettel | German | Red Bull Racing-Renault | 165 |
| 3 | Kimi Räikkönen | Finnish | Lotus-Renault | 149 |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | British | McLaren-Mercedes | 142 |
| 5 | Mark Webber | Australian | Red Bull Racing-Renault | 132 |
| 6 | Jenson Button | British | McLaren-Mercedes | 119 |
Author: Ernie Black
Twitter: @Goggs_on_F1
Blog: http://thef1poet.wordpress.com
