Driver of the day

Lewis Hamilton knew he had to respond to the Singapore critics quickly and definitively in Japan. He succeeded. His manners with teammate Rosberg at the start could have been a bit more hospitable, but such has been the temperament of long list of World Champions on the move. Moreover, his overtaking of the legendary Ayrton Senna has been a near perfect copy of that driver’s patented manta; be the best driver, in the best car, with the best team of the moment.

To have both Hamilton and Vettel displaying such virtuosity within a week’s time says much for the depth of talent and competition available in F1. It’s just a shame that F1 is currently saddled with a complex, expensive and long-lead-time hybrid power-centric formula that scares away other manufacturers  and limits many drivers from offering consistent competition race-to-race. We patiently wait for the rumoured changes to F1 that will add true competitive depth to the field. Time and fan patience are running out.

Perhaps an FIA formula boosting power to over 1000 hp, with simple front wings, dependable ground-effect downforce and no DRS could add more of an edge and a challenge in the race to overtake Alain Prost’s 51 victory mark for second place on the all-time winners list? Something is needed soon.