You’d be forgiven for thinking that a month had passed since the Italian Grand Prix, such has been the amount of news emanating from the Formula One paddock since. It was actually just a fortnight ago though that Lewis Hamilton’s imperious momentum continued, as he eclipsed Sebastian Vettel’s points tally to take the championship for the first time this term.
I wrote before Monza that the silly season was about to begin as the driver merry-go-round showed its first signs of turning. Events since departing Italy have proven my forecasting correct as manufacturers have started to get their houses in order as attention turns. Although not yet officially announced, it seems the sport’s worst kept secret that the fractious McLaren-Honda relationship is set to end with the British team heading to Renault for their engine supply from next year.
This long-running saga has been one of the stories of the season right from the first pre-season test in Barcelona and, despite occasional sparks of improvement, it has always seemed a matter of time before time was called on the partnership itself. Fernando Alonso spared no punches in his ongoing assessment of the team’s engine and performance and Monza felt like the straw that broke the camel’s back.
The switch to Renault from 2018 should be enough for McLaren to retain the services of their most coveted asset but the true test will be whether the shift sees McLaren able to sustain competing at the tight end of the grid through the calendar year. I for one would love this to be the case; not only to see someone as talented as Alonso given the proper tools to fight but also to see one of the sport’s finest names restored to its former glory.
Elsewhere, again off the track, Mercedes announced their decision to retain Lewis’ team mate Valtteri Bottas for the season. There were a few eyebrows raised before the start of the year when it was finally announced that it would be the Finnish driver to replace the outgoing World Champion, Nico Rosberg. Those concerns over his winning credentials though, have been dissipated as the Finn has enjoyed an excellent first year with the Silver Arrows. He has proven himself to be a Grand Prix winner and I would not be surprised to see him put his British team mate under tighter scrutiny in next year’s championship.
Harking back to events in Italy and to on-the-track matters, it was a weekend to remember for Lewis; not only for taking the championship lead, but for breaking the record for pole positions as well. It was another weekend where Lewis’ focus was total and his performance, relentless. The pantomime booing on the podium was exactly that, but also a reflection on a home crowd who had their chances of a Scuderia win taken away from them by a man on top form.
It is difficult to see this weekend in Singapore being anything but straightforward though for Lewis and his Mercedes team. Team boss Toto Wolff has himself admitted that it is a track they have not yet managed to master and the slower tracks this year have been where the Ferrari’s have come into their own. It will be a real achievement if Lewis departs, still perched on the top rung of the championship ladder.
