Lewis Hamilton came back from Formula 1’s summer break in style. Hamilton made history this weekend when he won his 68th career pole and tied Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher’s record in the process. Hamilton then went on to take the victory at the historic track over arch rival Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari. Hamilton still sits behind Vettel in championship points, however, only by seven, and the former champion showed his determination to once again be on top with his decisive win.
There have been no back to back winners yet this season
For the first time in a long time, Formula 1 has a season in which there is no back to back winners.
Race victories have flip flopped between mostly Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, however, Valtteri Bottas and Daniel Ricciardo have also won races during the season. The rivalry between Petronas Mercedes and Scuderia Ferrari is turning out to be one of the best things that could happen to Formula 1. In recent years rumblings of discontent could be heard from fans as the only race winners were Mercedes drivers. Now, however, the competition is not only real, it is fierce, throughout the field and fans seem to love it. The circuit at Spa-Francorchamps was overflowing with exuberant fans.
The battle for the lead was not the only battle of the day. Force India drivers, Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon twice collided while racing for position.
The team mates have fought before and this time caused major, race ending damage to both of their cars. Ocon, in a post-race interview, clearly blamed Perez for the collisions. Perez accepted blame for only one. Force India was not the only team to struggle. Hometown favorite, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, also experienced difficulty and his race ended on lap 8.
Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen also received a speeding penalty that caused him to lose position.
The Championship as it stands now
As it stands now, Scuderia Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel holds the top spot by seven points. This is despite coming in second to rival, Lewis Hamilton. Behind the top two in third place is Hamilton’s teammate Valtteri Bottas, 34 points behind Hamilton.
As the second half of the season starts to unfold it is clear either team or either driver could take the championship. Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo is in a distant fourth with 132 points and still has a very distant chance of capturing the title himself.
The second half of the Formula 1 season is underway with a bang. The race for the championship is as close as it has been in recent years and the rivalry between Ferrari and Mercedes seems to only be getting started. Each race offers teams the opportunity to garner points and come that much closer to being part of Formula 1 history.
