Lewis Hamilton enters the last two races of the Formula One season hopeful Mercedes-GP have done enough to solve the reliability issues that hurt the team earlier in the year.
With a comfortable lead over teammate Nico Rosberg, Hamilton will be in good position to clinch his second world title if he can bring his car home at Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix and at the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the season finale, on November 23.
Hamilton can secure the title with consecutive second-place finishes or by finishing third in Brazil and second in Abu Dhabi, which will be worth double points.
Mercedes have been dominant all year, winning 14 of the season’s 17 races. If Hamilton can avoid accidents and the mechanical problems that affected the team at stages through the season, he can coast behind Rosberg, finish where he needs to and clinch the title.
“The most difficult thing this year for sure was dealing with the DNFs and the problems that we had with the car and not finishing the races,” he said.
“We have to turn negatives into positives. That’s how I managed to get myself where I am today. We have to put that positive energy out there and maximise the opportunities.”
Hamilton failed to finish three races this year, two (Australia and Canada) of which were because of mechanical problems. He also had to start at the rear of the field twice (Germany and Hungary) because of car problems in qualifying.
Rosberg has also had his fair share of troubles with two retirements, but another setback for Hamilton in Brazil could turn the title race in Rosberg’s favour again.
“This is not something you think about,” Hamilton said. “We are going into the last two races with positive energy.”
Hamilton has won 10 races this season, including the past five, and made it onto the podium every time he crossed the finish line.
Mercedes have finished 1-2 in 10 of the 17 races and the last time one of its drivers retired was at the Singapore GP in September, when Rosberg had technical problems with his electronic steering wheel.
“Yes, we’ve had issues, we’ve not been perfect, but we’ve been constantly improving and trying to rectify all the issues that we’ve had,” Hamilton said.
“Some of the issues that have come up have been a huge surprise for us. We don’t know what the future holds, but I think we’ve done quite a good job, particularly in the last five or six races. I’m hopeful.”
Mercedes motorsport chief Toto Wolff said the team are focused on making sure both cars make it to the end in the final two races.
“There will be [no] rest between now and the end of the season as the double points in Abu Dhabi still has the potential to overshadow a great season should reliability become a factor,” he said.
“Our focus is still 100 per cent on ensuring that is not the case.”
Although Hamilton clinched his first world title in Brazil in 2008, he has not had a lot of good luck at the Interlagos track.
He failed to finish the race in two of the past three years and was only ninth in 2013.
He has never finished better than third at the track in Sao Paulo.
The British driver said things could be different this time.
“We have a great car, an amazing team, this is the best season I’ve ever had,” he said. “It’s like I’m going for my first world championship.
“I’m hungrier than ever.”
Rosberg, who has not won a race since Germany in July, seven races ago, said his aim was simply to keep himself in the hunt realistically ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi in two weeks’ time.
“I’ve got a mixed record at this circuit [Interlagos], but it’s one I really enjoy as it’s usually a really action-packed race,” Rosberg said.
“It would be great to give my title challenge a final boost with a good result before we head to the showdown in Abu Dhabi.”
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Abu Dhabi race card
5pm Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic Prestige | Dh110,000 | 1,400m
5.30pm Abu Dhabi Colts Classic Prestige | Dh110,000 | 1,400m
6pm Abu Dhabi Championship Listed | Dh180,000 | 1,600m
6.30pm Maiden | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
7pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap | Dh80,000 | 1,400m
7.30pm Handicap (TB) |Dh100,000 | 2,400m
Specs
Engine: 3.0L twin-turbo V6
Gearbox: 10-speed automatic
Power: 405hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 562Nm at 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.2L/100km
Price: From Dh292,845 (Reserve); from Dh320,145 (Presidential)
On sale: Now
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
ICC T20 Team of 2021
Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi
Three ways to get a gratitude glow
By committing to at least one of these daily, you can bring more gratitude into your life, says Ong.
- During your morning skincare routine, name five things you are thankful for about yourself.
- As you finish your skincare routine, look yourself in the eye and speak an affirmation, such as: “I am grateful for every part of me, including my ability to take care of my skin.”
- In the evening, take some deep breaths, notice how your skin feels, and listen for what your skin is grateful for.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do
Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.
“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”
Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.
Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.
“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”
For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.
“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Champions parade (UAE timings)
7pm Gates open
8pm Deansgate stage showing starts
9pm Parade starts at Manchester Cathedral
9.45pm Parade ends at Peter Street
10pm City players on stage
11pm event ends
