The 2018 Formula 1 summer break is in the books, and the battle between four-time Formula 1 champions Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel rages on.
Action returns to the Formula 1 circuit this weekend with the Belgian Grand Prix at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps following the annual summer break, which began following the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring back in Sunday, July 29.
Entering the 44-lap race around the 19-turn, 4.352-mile (7.004-kilometer) Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps road course in Stavelot, Belgium, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport’s Lewis Hamilton leads Scuderia Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel by 24 points (213 to 189) in the driver standings.
With nine races remaining in the 21-race 2018 season, the battle between the two four-time Formula 1 champions is set to rage on, and it will really start to pick up this weekend. Which of the two drivers will tie Juan Manuel Fangio for second place on the all-time championships list with his fifth title this year?
The general consensus is that Ferrari have had faster cars than Mercedes so far this season, but Hamilton has been far more opportunistic than Vettel has this season.
In fact, Vettel’s crash in the German Grand Prix alone caused a 38-point swing in favor of Hamilton, meaning that had it not happened, he would be leading his rival by 14 points in the driver standings right now just like he did during last season’s summer break.
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With the 33-year-old Briton leading the 31-year-old German in the driver standings by nearly the point total of a victory, the fact that Ferrari may have an advantage over Mercedes should make things more exciting as Vettel tries to climb his way back within range of challenging Hamilton for the championship.
As referenced above, Vettel led Hamilton in the driver standings by 14 points (202 to 188) during last season’s summer break. However, Vettel did not finish the season like he would have liked to, and Hamilton won the championship by 46 points (363 to 317).
This time around, things should be much closer given how much Ferrari have improved since last season. Both Hamilton and Vettel, who have won five and four races, respectively, through the first 12 races of this season, have won three races on outright pace.
Hamilton won the Spanish Grand Prix, the French Grand Prix and the Hungarian Grand Prix on outright pace while Vettel won the Bahrain Grand Prix, the Canadian Grand Prix and the British Grand Prix on outright pace.
Hamilton’s other two victories so far this season came in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which he won after the right rear tire of teammate Valtteri Bottas went flat while he was leading the race with just three laps to go, and the German Grand Prix, which he won after he inherited the lead since a miscommunication within his team kept him from coming into the pits after Vettel wrecked while leading comfortably with only 16 laps remaining.
Vettel’s other victory so far this season came in the Australian Grand Prix. While he led the majority of the race’s laps, he only inherited the lead from Hamilton because of the fact that he came into the pits under a virtual safety car period.
The remaining nine races of the season will determine which of these two four-time Formula 1 champions will become a five-time champion, and they start now. The championship is completely up for grabs.
With nine races remaining in the 2019 Formula 1 season, who is your pick to join Juan Manuel Fangio with five career Formula 1 championships by the time the season comes to an end? Will Lewis Hamilton pull it off, giving him four championships in the last five seasons, or will Sebastian Vettel secure his first championship since he won his fourth consecutive champion in the 2013 season?
The battle between these two four-time champions is set to rage on this weekend with the Belgian Grand Prix. Be sure to tune in to ESPN2 at 9:10 a.m. ET on Sunday, August 26 for the live broadcast of the race from Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.