Voice of London

Despite starting from third on the grid in the Mexican Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton is all set to reclaim F1 world championship today.

The domination Lewis Hamilton has imposed on the rest of the F1 batch throughout the season means his overall triumph today is all but inevitable; and he would really have to make an enormous effort not to be crowned a world champion after the Mexican GP.

What has to happen to keep the title race on?

To lift the trophy, Hamilton needs just nine points from the remaining three races: in Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

In other words, in order to NOT become the fifth driver to ever win four F1 championships tomorrow he would have to be waived through the chequered flag as the sixth driver, or later, on the Mexican circuit.

AND, that’s only if the winner of the race is Sebastian Vettel, currently second in the drivers’ standings.

What are the chances of such an outcome?

Very slim. Hamilton hasn’t given the lead in the title race back to Sebastian Vettel since he overtook the German after the Italian GP in September, bouncing back from the first part of the season when Vettel was the one setting the pace for the rest of the drivers.

Hamilton’s been very consistent through the season, finishing a race below fifth place just once after qualifying woes in Monaco.

He started the race from the 13^th position but managed to cross the line seventh.

When not starting from pole, Hamilton’s never finished a race below his place won in a qualifying session.

Three times he held on to the position he started the race with, and three times he improved it, once even notching up a win in Malaysia. Statistics are firmly behind the British driver tomorrow.

Hamilton also has the reliability of his Mercedes car on his side, as he impressively hasn’t been forced to retire this season; nor been involved in a race-ending crash.

Has Hamilton always sealed his titles so early?

No. In the memorable year of 2007 Hamilton won his first ever title after a historic Brazilian GP.

On the very last corner of the final lap of the race, which then capped off the F1 season, the British driver overtook Timo Glock pipping him to fifth position and snatching the title by one point from under the nose of the local pupil Felipe Massa, who won the race.

Eight years later, in 2015, he won his second title, also in the final GP of the season taking place in Abu Dhabi.

During that race his ex-teammate, Nico Rosberg, was halted by mechanical problems and finished outside top 10.

Hamilton triumphed and scored a deciding 50 points (as this race was decided by the FIA to be double-scored) winning the title by 66 points.

Words: Damian Burchardt I Subbing: Oliver Browning