Hamilton looking for familiar mid-season surge

Lewis Hamilton has placed himself once again in the leading position for the Drivers’ Championship as he pursues his fifth crown. The Brit rebounded after watching Sebastian Vettel win the opening two races of the term and will be eyeing a dominant stretch during the middle stage of the season to pull away from his rival and the rest of the field.

Pedestrian starts have been the hallmark of Hamilton’s career over the past three seasons. He has won only one race in the opening three races of the term since 2016, which came in China last term. The current campaign has been a test of his resilience as he was forced to watch Vettel on top spot on the podium. The German had been determined to hit back following his defeat in 2017 and proved a point in Australia and Bahrain.

However, Hamilton found his feet and capitalised on the German’s lack of form to snatch a healthy lead heading into the middle stretch of the term. Daniel Ricciardo has emerged to potentially make it a three-way contest at the top of the standings, although the Brit boasts a comfortable lead over the Red Bull driver, with Vettel his closest threat. As a result, the 33-year-old is backed in the latest F1 betting odds at 1/2 to win the crown for the second campaign on the bounce.

Hamilton’s surge to the title last season began with a strong stretch of form in the middle of the term, while he also excelled in 2016 in the same period, although his poor start to that year left him narrowly off the pace of teammate Nico Rosberg to miss out on the title. Canada has been a fortress for the Brit, only Michael Schumacher can boast more wins at the Grand Prix, but that could change very soon should Hamilton win his fourth race on the bounce at the venue. It has been the foundation for his charges of the past and will look to be once again to pull clear of Vettel.

Due to his recent success, Hamilton will be aiming to break records on his venture round the circuits. On home soil at Silverstone, he is currently tied with two legends, Alain Prost and Jim Clark, on five wins. Hamilton has won the last four British Grands Prix and a fifth on the bounce would make him the outright leader, further etching his name into the mantle as one of the all-time greats of Formula One.

Hamilton’s consistency has been his strongest asset this season. Although at times he has not been at his best on the track, the Brit has finished outside of the top three only once; at the Chinese Grand Prix when he placed in fourth. Given his quality and that of his Mercedes vehicle, victories will come more often than not this term. However, those vital points when he has not managed to claim top spot could be crucial come the end of the season and hand him the edge over Vettel in their duel.