Since Hamilton signed his new contract in July he has won every Grand Prix apart from the Belgian GP where he came in second. This is despite the challenge of Ferrari’s impressive SF71H car being driven by his nearest rivals Vettel and Raikkonen.
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Although Hamilton’s contract is exceptionally lucrative, you have to say that Mercedes is getting what they have paid for. Lewis Hamilton looks like he is going to take his second Driver Championship is a row unless the guys at Ferrari really do something special.
Only six races left this F1 year
Time is running out of The Prancing Horse with just six races remaining on the 2018 F1 calendar. If Hamilton wins again in Russia then he would have to do spectacularly badly in the remaining races to concede his lead. Russia’s Sochi Autodrom is a track that Mercedes have a great record at. In fact, they have dominated the last four races here – Hamilton won in both 2014 and 2015, then Nico Rosberg in 2016 and Bottas last year.
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Hamilton could make it 70 Grand Prix wins at Russian GP
Another incentive for Hamilton will be that his next win will be his 70th GP win, so he will be striving to achieve that in Russia this weekend. In the Constructor Standings, Mercedes have a lead of 37 points which will be very difficult to overcome unless Ferrari gets the results they need in Russia.
Ricciardo says track surface has improved
Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo gave some insight into his thoughts on the Sochi track: “Sochi is a pretty unique circuit, it’s very flat and open. In some ways, it feels like driving flat out in a car park, but it’s a surprisingly enjoyable lap. Apart from the long straight, there’s a lot going on and it’s a layout that keeps you thinking. It’s definitely grown on me since we started racing there. The track surface has also improved over the last few years.”
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Max Verstappen’s 21st birthday
He also joked about needing to get his teammate Verstappen a 21st birthday present, then cheekily said he could always dedicate his win to him! Will it be a happy birthday for Max Verstappen? Not if Hamilton and Vettel continue their rich form.