Lewis Hamilton, a winner guided by… Ayrton Senna
Unexpected winner in Singapore, the Briton simply summoned his idol in executing his plan.
The gift fell from the sky. As a surprise guest, the rain chose its side during the fourteenth round of the season. Undeniably, Lewis Hamilton was in his! The tire gamble at the start was the right one, with intermediate tires, like the other five drivers on the first three rows.
Mystique
“There wouldn’t have been a better scenario!” admitted the Briton at the finish.
« We took advantage of a good start and a better strategy to probably lift ourselves a position above what we could have hoped for in such situations. »
But it was especially his mastery during an extended first stint that made an impression. The unexpected leader therefore stopped on the 29th lap, immediately to swap his intermediates… for ultra-softs!
« It was quite a challenge! But I was sure I could get a result as soon as the rain came. I knew I had the rhythm in these conditions. We didn’t have the necessary speed in the dry. » summarized the winner of Sunday. All in the management of events… suggested by the spirit of a triple Brazilian world champion.
« At the Monaco Grand Prix, he was in the lead when he hit the wall. I think these kinds of things always come to mind in these situations. It’s as if Ayrton is speaking to me! »
But the key word remains surprise. From being dominated, Lewis Hamilton finished the weekend dominant, with a lead in the drivers’ championship: 28 points ahead!
« I was so happy when the rain fell, you can’t imagine how much. I thought I was coming here to limit the damage. So it’s a shock to have another outcome! »
From a general point of view, #44 is the only winning number of the season start, with three victories in three races. It will be difficult for Vettel to stop the British locomotive, headed towards a possible fourth world title.
As an aide-de-camp, Valtteri Bottas highlights an exceptional race in more ways than one
Discreet sixth on Saturday, the #77 met the minimum objective given the chaotic race scenario. The Finn emerged fifth from the melee, behind Hülkenberg and Pérez. Also overtaken by Palmer, he rectified the situation thereafter by regaining his pace, to position himself ahead of the two Renaults and Pérez after his stop.
« This race showed us that anything is possible in motorsport. Under normal circumstances, it would have been difficult to reach the podium: we were lucky! » even acknowledged on the spot the former Williams driver.
The double Grand Prix winner still enjoys his tenth podium of the season, a testament to his consistency. Our pace was better than expected in the dry. So it’s nice to bring back a trophy after such a tricky weekend.
Without making noise, this beautiful series associated with Hamilton’s flair is leading the Brackley team to a fourth consecutive constructors’ title. For the drivers’ title, suspense remains guaranteed, even starting this weekend. #SquadGoals 👌 pic.twitter.com/9brSaotGa7 — Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) September 17, 2017
