Pit Stop | Done deal on title but Hamilton won't ease off in Brazil
Briton is a serial winner so don't expect him to give any slack to Mercedes teammate Rosberg
Two races to go in the F1 season, you could forgive the drivers and the teams for feeling it's like the end of a school term - a bit of a breeze. After all, the drivers and team championships have been decided and Mercedes have nothing left to prove.
The thing is, it doesn't work that way in this sport. An F1 driver is a competitive beast, and none more so than world champion Lewis Hamilton. He won his third title in the United States, and on the evidence of the race in Mexico, he has no intention of easing off and giving anyone any slack, least of all his beleaguered teammate Nico Rosberg.
Rosberg, of course, is in a battle to take second place in the standings. He's 21 points ahead of Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel. Given the dominance of the Mercedes engine this year he should be a country mile ahead.
Still, the German has taken pole for the last four races, and in Mexico managed to convert that into a win. But it was no thanks to Hamilton. He'd made it clear he wasn't in the business of helping his teammate now he'd secured the title. The radio row over pitting during the last race underlined that. He felt the team wanted to please Rosberg and pulled him in for fresh tyres when he could have won.
The Briton is a serial winner, increasingly mature and able to play a nuanced mind game. There will be no easing off in Brazil this weekend. Race wins, pole positions are all precious things, records are there for the taking. We have seen enough team orders over previous years to welcome Hamilton's resolve.
