This was published 6 years ago
F1: Hamilton cashes in as mechanical troubles crush Sebastian Vettel campaign
By Tom Cary
Suzuka: Standing on the Suzuka podium after his fourth victory in five races, one which all but guarantees him his fourth world title, Lewis Hamilton looked at the sea of faces below him and picked one out.
Then he raised both hands over his head, touched them together on his scalp and did the Mobot pose. Sir Mo Farah, looking back up at him, responded in kind.
Game over: Sebastian Vettel of Germany waits for his car repaired during the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix.Credit: Kazuhiro Nogi
It was a strange end to another strange chapter in this season of twists and turns; these two British sporting superstars, neither perhaps as popular as they might be back at home, communing with each other over a sea of people in the middle of Japan.
Perhaps they recognise something in the other; a kindred spirit, a ruthlessness, a battling-against-the-odds mentality. Farah, for all the questions over his coach and his methods, clearly has that in abundance. Hamilton, too, even though the Mercedes driver is not having to show it at present.
Champagne showers: Lewis Hamilton celebrates a win and essentially locking in the title.Credit: Toru Takahashi
Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel are handing him this title on a plate.
The Scuderia's latest implosion saw Vettel retire from yesterday's Japanese Grand Prix after just four laps with a spark-plug failure. A three-point deficit has become a 59-point deficit in the space of three races.
If Hamilton beats Vettel by more than 16 points at the next race in Austin, Texas, it will be mathematically over. In truth, it already is.
Hamilton will become Britain's most successful Formula One driver, pulling clear of Sir Jackie Stewart, when he wins his fourth world title. Whether that happens in the United States, Mexico, Brazil or Abu Dhabi remains to be seen.
He deserves it, but what a shame that it happened like this. It felt yesterday as if the oxygen had been sucked out of the season.
"Honestly, I could only have dreamed of having this kind of gap," Hamilton admitted. "Ferrari have put on such a great challenge all year long. All I can really say is that I have to put it down to my team. They've done a phenomenal job. Reliability has really been on point."
Talk about rubbing it in. Ferrari's lack of reliability, their inability to hold it together when things get tense, has become a bad joke in F1.
The writing was on the wall from the very start yesterday; an issue identified with Vettel's car as he made his way to the grid, where he was starting second.
In an echo of Sepang the previous weekend, when Kimi Raikkonen hit trouble even before the race had started, the engine cover to Vettel's car was removed and a swarm of Ferrari engine boffins crowded around to have a look. It was all to no avail.
Vettel got away well enough but was clearly down on power and was swiftly overtaken not just by Red Bull's Max Verstappen but by Force India's Esteban Ocon, Verstappen's teammate Daniel Ricciardo and Hamilton's teammate Valtteri Bottas. He lasted just four laps before he was pulled from the fray.
In Vettel's absence, Hamilton just about managed to hold off Verstappen, although the second half of the race - on the soft Pirelli tyres - was tense, a late virtual safety car almost costing the Mercedes driver the victory as he struggled with cold tyres on the restart.
A timely intervention by McLaren's Fernando Alonso, who jumped in front of Verstappen just as the Dutchman was closing on Hamilton, helped. Alonso got a reprimand, Hamilton the win, and Ricciardo fended off Bottas for third.
Poor Maurizio Arrivabene, sitting forlornly on Ferrari's pitwall. All he could do was watch and shake his head. Will it be Arrivederci Arrivabene? Very possibly.
Vettel sought to defend his team. "It is normal to be critical, especially when things go wrong," he told reporters before dashing off to catch a train while the race was still on. "I think I need to protect them. It is like that sometimes. Of course it hurts and we are all disappointed, but we go flat out for the last four races and see what happens."
He can go as fast as he likes. You can stick a fork in this championship. We are done.
UK Daily Telegraph