Hamilton headed to his 4th drivers’ title

The German Grand Prix was the last race before Formula 1 heads off for its four-week summer break, so it was fitting that it consolidated the two overriding trends that have emerged so far this year.

The first is that Lewis Hamilton is in control of this season regardless of the mechanical problems that afflicted him in the opening races – and which will have a knock-on effect as soon as the season re-starts at the end of August.

The second is that Ferrari have lost their way – again – and look close to implosion.

Hockenheim was Hamilton’s sixth win in seven races, a remarkable run that has seen a 62-point swing between himself and Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg, turning a 43-point deficit into a 19-point lead.

To anyone who has tracked the form of the competition between the two men since they became team-mates in 2013, the deficit Hamilton faced after two bad starts and then a succession of mechanical failures in the first four races looked eminently recoverable.

But Hamilton has admitted that he had his doubts. He said after winning in Germany on Sunday that back in early May he was “finding it hard to see a way through the trees”.

But the last seven races have reconfirmed the inner belief he has always had that, all things being equal, he will beat Rosberg more often than not – and certainly often enough to beat him to a world championship over 20 races or so.

Category: Formula One