A not so easy victory for Hamilton and Mercedes
Victorious at Suzuka, Lewis Hamilton did not have a quiet race. Neutralized twice by the virtual safety car, this Japanese Grand Prix could very well have gone to Max Verstappen and Red Bull. But the Briton managed to hold off the Dutchman to clinch a crucial victory in his championship battle with Vettel.
After Sebastian Vettel’s elimination at the beginning of the race due to a technical problem with the Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton’s race could have resembled a stroll on the Suzuka circuit.
But that was without counting on Max Verstappen and his Red Bull. In great form since his victory at Sepang last week, the Dutchman threatened Hamilton right up to the final laps: « With the virtual safety car towards the end, I lost a lot of temperature in the tires and keeping them in shape wasn’t that easy. I found myself stuck behind traffic, losing so much time that Max’s [Verstappen] car took up a lot of space in my mirrors. We were very close for a few laps, but I managed to keep him behind. It wasn’t an easy ride today, it was a victory I had to work very hard for. It was a great race from Max, I enjoyed fighting against him, » explained the championship leader.
Despite his 59-point lead in the championship and the possibility of winning the title at the next race in Austin, Hamilton does not want to think he has definitively distanced himself from Vettel: « It is almost incredible to think that we are where we are in the championship. I was thrilled to race against Sebastian today, but he was obviously very unlucky. There is still a long way to go, there are still a hundred points up for grabs. I’m just going to relax and hope that I continue to be in this kind of form. » concluded a confident Hamilton.
What a weekend! Huge thanks to the fans out here and my hard working team who have been so meticulous! 🙌🏾 @MercedesAMGF1 #F1 📷 @suttonimages pic.twitter.com/Pqi9xaEo5s
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) 8 octobre 2017
On his side, Valtteri Bottas somewhat awakened from his Sepang lethargy to finish just off the podium, on the heels of Daniel Ricciardo’s Red Bull: « It was a very close fight especially towards the end as I was closing in on Daniel, but there wasn’t enough time and the virtual safety car didn’t help me either. The pace seems to be correct, but coming here, we knew that overtaking would be tricky. The strategy was good today, which gave me a good chance at the end, otherwise it would have been really difficult to get closer,” stated Bottas after the race that nevertheless saw him secure the fastest lap.
