Hamilton vs Rosberg: pressure of the stakes, one more referee

In just a week, the lights out in Austin will add the final lines to the story of this 2016 season. Mercedes is sure to retain its Constructors’ and Drivers’ titles, but the name of the driver is still undecided.

Nico Rosberg is on track to make his mark in history. With a 33-point lead over Lewis Hamilton, and four races remaining, he is in a favorable position and in a good rhythm of success this season. The Singapore Grand Prix has thus become his benchmark race of the season. Paddy Lowe, the chief engineer of Mercedes, stated about him: “I think, for me, he has reached a new level this season by significantly improving his race performances.”

Lewis Hamilton, three-time world champion and two-time defending title holder, is not yet defeated. Experiencing mechanical misfortune this season, like during the Malaysian Grand Prix, he can rely on his end-of-championship experience and his insatiable desire to win. He has already managed to close a thirty-two-point gap over the course of four Grand Prix this season. In 2008, he became world champion in the last corner of the final lap in Brazil, winning by just one point in favor of Felipe Massa. On this topic, Toto Wolff recounted about his driver: “Lewis performs better under pressure and with a goal. I have no doubt that the battle will be intense until the end.”

The Mercedes is the best car on the grid, even though it seems slightly less dominant than the previous two years with a comeback from Red Bull. However, if reliability and strategy are on point until the end of the season, psychology will be a determining factor or referee, in addition to the other teams.

Nico Rosberg is in search of his first world championship title and has the championship points to his advantage. He simply needs to consistently finish second in every race if Lewis Hamilton were to win them all. It’s now or never to be crowned. Things can change quickly in F1, especially with the changes planned for next year.

On his side, Lewis Hamilton is an uncompromising competitor, having already experienced similar championship situations. As Allan McNish mentioned regarding this upcoming battle in an interview with BBC Sport, F1 is a mind game. Many drivers have lost championships at the end of the season while leading in points, and Lewis Hamilton is among them. In 2007, he had a 17-point lead with two races to go over Kimi Räikkönen. Another example from recent history, in 2010, Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber had eight and fifteen points ahead of Sebastian Vettel in the final race.

In other words, each Grand Prix is an eternal new beginning, anything can happen one way or another. These are professionals who also fight against their emotions and the stakes. Nothing is ever won or lost until the checkered flag is lowered.