Following Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel’s win at the first grand prix of the season in Australia, Hamilton knew he had to make a good start to the season, as he and Vettel will clash over the coming months.
With conditions being far from easy with a wet track, Hamilton who got pole, led from the front ahead of Vettel, but a crash soon changed everything, as the safety car came out. With Vettel changing for dry tyres, the advantage lay with him. Or so he thought.
Hamilton, who would’ve conceded the lead to his rival, was saved, when Sauber’s Antonio Giovinazzi crashed for the second time on the track and the safety car was put out. In doing so, Hamilton could make the tyre change without losing position in the race.
Whilst Hamilton secured his first success of the 2017 calendar in Shanghai, Vettel made hard work of fighting for 2nd on the podium in front of Verstappen to complete the top 3 for the weekend.
Afterwards, Hamilton was realistic in his assertions for the season when he thinks that Ferrari and Mercedes will fight to the end this year.
“I think this will be one of the closest title fights if not the closest I have experienced. Ferrari have done a great job and it is great that we are both pushing,” he said to the BBC.
Next Grand Prix is in Bahrain.
