'Only Bottas can stop Lewis'
Ferrari's Vettel and Leclerc cannot look past a Mercedes driver winning title
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Lewis Hamilton with the victor's spoils of a trophy and champagne after winning the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday. With two wins from three races, the reigning world champion leads Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas by five points in the drivers' standings.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
BUDAPEST • Lewis Hamilton leads the Formula One world championship after three races and Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas already looks like the only man who can deny the Briton a record-equalling seventh title.
That is the view of Ferrari duo Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc, whose hopes of building on last year's challenge have melted away amid the struggles the SF1000 car is having with straight-line speed.
Hamilton (63 points) dominated Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix from pole to finish, taking a five-point lead over Bottas, the winner of the Austrian season-opener, while Red Bull's Max Verstappen is third overall, 30 points off the lead in the drivers' standings.
Asked whether they could see a scenario where Hamilton might not be champion at the end of the season, Vettel and Leclerc agreed it was unlikely.
"I think (only) if Valtteri wins the championship," said German Vettel, a four-time world champion.
Monaco native Leclerc added: "Lewis is obviously the main contender. The only one that could probably stop him doing that is Valtteri."
With F1 not in action until Aug 2, Ferrari plan to use the mini-break to get to the bottom of their problems.
"We were not expecting such a difficult situation - it's certainly worse compared to expectations," said team boss Mattia Binotto.
"We've got a couple of weeks before Silverstone. It will be important for us back in Maranello to consider all the aspects of the car, in our organisation, whatever needs to be improved.
"The deficit at the moment is still there. We are lacking speed on the straights, we are lacking speed in cornering. Overall, the car has to be improved in all areas. It will take some time. It's not something that can be addressed in a few weeks."
66
Mercedes' lead over closest challengers Red Bull in the constructors' standings after the opening three races.
On the other hand, Mercedes, winners of the past six drivers' championships, have no such worries after starting this term with three wins and three poles. They are already 66 points clear of closest rivals Red Bull.
With the Silver Arrows winning the first eight races last season, it is little wonder why their rivals appear despondent over their championship chances as this season is mirroring the last.
Hamilton, fourth in the opener at the Red Bull Ring, has already won two in a row and the next two races are at his home Silverstone circuit.
While the Briton has refuted suggestions the championship is in danger of becoming a procession, he admitted he had expected more of a fight so far.
"I think the Red Bulls have been doing a great job and I'm sure at some stage they're going to make some improvements as we get into the season," he said.
"I'm hopeful we will still find some challenges up ahead."
The evidence suggests Mercedes are on another level, however, with Hamilton lapping all but three cars behind him before his final pit stop in Hungary.
Such dominance means he has been able to push his anti-racism stance to the top of the sport's agenda without being primarily preoccupied with driving.
The 35-year-old intends to write to F1 bosses to give drivers, who wish to "take a knee" with him at future pre-race ceremonies, more time to carry out their protests.
Expressing his unhappiness at how rushed Sunday's ceremony had been, he also hit out at Haas' Romain Grosjean for not believing it was necessary.
On the French driver, who is the chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers Association, he said: "He doesn't think it's important to do it - he's one of them that thinks it was done once and that's all we need to do.
"I don't think it's being taken seriously. There are perhaps people who have not grown up around it so they don't understand it.
"There are people out there who are experiencing discrimination, that's what we're fighting for - we're trying to change in organisations."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
