Fans were left wondering what could have been after the Spanish Grand Prix, with overtones of the fabulous Bahrain Grand Prix from earlier this year.
There was a battle between the Mercedes at the front, teammates squabbling in the middle pack, and Pastor Maldonado crashing into someone who was just minding their own business.
Largely notable for Daniel Ricciardo’s first officially recognised podium, the race was a bit like a Cornetto – exciting at the beginning and end, but sadly lacking in peanuts during the middle stages.
It’s taken four successive victories for Lewis Hamilton to leapfrog Nico Rosberg at the top of the driver’s table after a costly engine failure in Melbourne. Double-points for the final race take on a renewed importance in light of this.
If Hamilton is going to fend off his teammate (they are not friends according to Hamilton, and Rosberg prefers Eddie Jordan as a neighbour), he’ll have to smooth away some of his rough edges.
Hamilton admits it won’t be an easy year, but has identified weak tracks and areas for improvement. It’s a worrying sign when the championship leader and four-time 2014 race winner announces he is stepping up his game, at least if you spend the race behind a steering wheel.
So what does Rosberg need to do to arrest Hamilton’s momentum in the championship before he pulls further ahead?
Racing in Monaco will bring to mind his recent victory there, and those of his father. He also lives there. It’s a completely different situation than the previous races this year, because for Rosberg it’s his home race.
Realistically, his best chance of victory will come in qualifying. With the speed and handling of Formula One cars having long surpassed the challenge of the Monaco track, the most challenging aspect of driving around Monaco is avoiding the barriers like a drunk aunt at a wedding.
With limited overtaking opportunities, it’s even more important for Rosberg to find a way to get on pole.
Although he’s clearly not feeling the heat at the moment, Hamilton does have a tendency for finding himself in the kitchen when the heat is on. Although he’s a far more experienced driver now, we only have to look at the 2007 and 2008 seasons to see that his moves become far less rational when the chips are stacked high.
Worst of all for Rosberg, it’s difficult to see Mercedes not being a contender for next year’s championship. If he can’t find a way to out-qualify Hamilton regularly, it could be a few disappointing years for the talented German.
Double drivers’ championships for Hamilton will be seen as a justification of his natural ability, while Rosberg is left to wallow thinking about what could have been like the rest of us.
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