Lewis Hamilton is entering the last-chance saloon in regard to his hopes of becoming only the fourth man in the history of Formula One to win the Drivers’ Championship three times in a row. The 31-year-old trails his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg by 19 points in the standings, with only two races left in the campaign.
Hamilton’s only hope of winning the crown is for him to win the final two meets in Brazil and Abu Dhabi and for the German to finish lower than third in at least one of the races to ensure that the Championship remains in his hands. He has rallied in back-to-back Grand Prixs, claiming victories in the United States and Mexico and he will need to maintain the high level of his form in Sao Paulo.
The Brit is backed in the latest bet365 F1 betting odds at 5/6 to triumph in the Brazilian Grand Prix, and given the flawless nature of his last two performances it’s hard to punt against him walking away with another vital victory, although it might not be enough to extend the race for the title into the final week of the season.
Momentum has been key in the battle between Hamilton and Rosberg this season, with the German taking the early impetus with a series of excellent drives at the start of the term. The 31-year-old was also plagued with a number of issues with his car that cost him vital points in the Chinese Grand Prix, while a collision with Rosberg in the Spanish GP forced both men to retire, leaving him with a 43-point deficit to claw back on his team-mate.
However, Hamilton did just that and even managed to take the lead with an outstanding run of form over the next two months of the season. The Brit and his team resolved their issues with his car, which enabled him to reel off wins in six of the next seven races, including the British and German Grand Prixs, leaving Rosberg with ground to make up in his bid to win his maiden title.
The German found the peak of his powers just at the right time of the season to swing the race for the Championship back in his favour. He claimed three-straight wins in Belgium, Italy and Singapore, although he failed to capitalise on a Hamilton retirement in Malaysia, finishing third behind Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen.
Hamilton appeared to be at the end of his tether with his team, launching a tirade following his engine failure. Rosberg’s win in Japan saw him take a huge stride towards the title, with the Brit looking beaten man on the lowest step of the podium at the Suzuka Circuit.
The resilience of a champion can never be underestimated and Hamilton came out firing with two flawless drives in the United States and Mexico, sending a message to his team-mate that he was going to have to take the Championship from him. As it stands Rosberg remains in control, but who could bet against Hamilton from pulling off another remarkable win to take the title race into the final GP?
