Singapore gift puts Lewis Hamilton in driver's seat
Briton turned things around in his last race but momentum swings can go either way and Nico Rosberg will be fighting back at Suzuka circuit
Can Hamilton end jinx at F1-mad Suzuka? one website has been asking this week. Well, when you have just turned a 22-point deficit into a three-point lead in one race, anything is possible.
We have spoken before about momentum. Hamilton must have felt for much of the season he was a stranger to the concept, and to lady luck. How that changed in Singapore.
To win the race while your teammate and main rival is unable to sort out technical gremlins and finish the race has to put a smile on your face. Earlier in the season he spoke about perhaps rubbing a Buddha's belly for luck. There are certainly a few on offer in Singapore.
What might be playing on [Rosberg's] mind is the way he gifted Hamilton the win in Monza after being put under pressure
Will this be the moment Nico Rosberg's title challenge falls apart? You very much doubt it. Momentum is a two-edged sword.
This weekend in Suzuka is a fresh page, and yet the last two races in Singapore and Monza will no doubt be playing on the minds of those on Rosberg's side of the garage. There is a reason there are so many well-paid sports psychologists in the world.
The German will back himself, but there are some reasons why the smart money could be on Hamilton. Think where he might be if not for those three mechanical failures. He actually outscores Rosberg in wins by a handsome seven to four.
Rosberg knows that mechanical and electrical failures are an occupational hazard. What might be playing on his mind is the way he gifted Hamilton the win in Monza after being put under pressure. Suzuka is a less forgiving (if thrilling) track, and any deviation from the racing line could end your race there and then. That would have a big impact on the championship.
