The Chinese grand prix might be Lewis Hamilton's best chance between now and the last lap of the season to make sure it's him - rather than Felipe Massa or Robert Kubica - wearing the drivers' crown. The23-year-old seems pathologically driven to win at all costs and has yet to display that he is mentally capable of cruising for points. When he's under pressure – which after last year's Chinese faux pas he most definitely is this weekend – it is not so much the red mist that comes down as the black and white squares of the chequered flag.
Personally, I admire this. It's what drives him to those impressive comebacks like at Monza, racing from 15th place to seventh, and makes him one of the most exciting men on the grid to watch. The question of whether it leads him to attempt dangerous manoeuvres, an accusation levied at him by pretty much the rest of the field, is a matter already covered by Richard Williams. But you cannot deny that he was content after twice being fastest in practice. Photograph: Luca Bruno/APrefuses to compromise a single lap of a race in the hunt for the greater haul, rather than the modest accumulation of points.
Speaking to British colleagues this week, there was a hefty dose of criticism for Hamilton's performance in the Japanese grand prix, while others questioned the approach of McLaren's top brass. Why head into the weekend promising a careful strategy of racking up the points and then exit it – after a hot-headed start – backing the driver's seemingly win-at-all-costs approach? It's almost as if Hamilton has Ron Dennis in his thrall, rather than bowing to his boss' years of experience. Not since Ayrton Senna has McLaren, perhaps the hardest team to race for on the grid, accepted that the best approach is that of a driver it is unable to reign in.
It's not that Hamilton is in any way feral, he's just instinctively driven to win. In a split second he'll pull off a move that most wouldn't have the balls to do. Some won't even have spotted that a pass was there for the taking. Occasionally it doesn't pay off, like his start at Fuji, when he couldn't bear the fact that Kimi Raikkonen had got past and did all he could to regain the lead into the first corner. It was an instant decision, not influenced by the redeeming fact his main title rival was behind him, but I refuse to call it a mistake. Hamilton is revealing himself to be a driver in the mould of Gilles Villeneuve – to go for the victory is the only option.
"In motor racing it's the winning that counts, not the taking part," I was recently told and that rings true for Hamilton. In only his second season, he cannot be expected to string together a set of faultless drives, but however good he is at recovering from errors, now is not the time to be making them. Were it not for his Hungary engine failure and a couple of pit stop dramas, Felipe Massa may have been leading the title race now – instead he is five points adrift and victory is within Hamilton's grasp at Shanghai this weekend. A debacle from the Brit, however, will swing the momentum in the Brazilian's favour for his home grand prix at Interlagos - the season's final round.
The outsider – at 25-1 with some bookies – is Robert Kubica, whose approach has been the reverse of Hamilton's (and it's Kubica who has made accusations of dangerous driving against his contemporary). With a less powerful BMW going for the win hasn't been an option, his Canadian victory coming courtesy of Hamilton rear-ending Raikkonen in the pit lane. But still, he's banked enough points to keep him in the hunt, scoring eight in the last race, and he now lies in a better position than Raikkonen did this time last year – and the Finn went on to take the title. There are some who would love the Pole to win, believing his stealthy season has been superior to his rivals, but I'd rather the big prize went to someone who hadn't mopped up the points, however talented he is.
If Hamilton translates his two fastest Friday practice times into pole position tomorrow and then shoots away at Sunday's start, that inbuilt desire to win could take him to his first title. But what's the betting that Ferrari, in a game of psychological one-upmanship, will light-fuel Raikkonen in qualifying to get him on pole to try and stop Hamilton doing just that?
Sack the stewards? You'd be taking the Michael
The call to rid formula one of part-time stewards and pay former racers to do the job raises a chuckle. It's because grand prix stars past and present believe that only drivers can truly understand why various incidents happen in the heat of the moment. Fair enough. But given that every driver seems to have a different interpretation of this season's memorable moves, how on earth would they decide on a driver whose opinion everyone would agree with? There'd be a few furious faces if they drafted in Michael Schumacher ...
Last weekend's action
Spanish racer Jaime Alguersuari certainly follows the same rulebook as Kubica. The new British formula three champion came from behind to snatch the crown from odds-on favourite Oliver Turvey at Donington Park on Sunday. It was undeniably a grand shame for the young Briton - if it hadn't rained during the second qualifying session it could have been a different story - but Alguersuari's steady assault was certainly classy. During an interview a few months ago, I was surprised by how calm, cool and confident he was. Chasing wins was not what it's about, he told me, and this mature approach paid off - although he did claim the final two when it mattered. It's incredible to think he's the youngest-ever winner of the title, with previous names including world champions Nelson Piquet Sr, Ayrton Senna and Mika Hakkinen.
The weekend's action
We're halfway through the Chase for the Sprint Cup and the Nascar gang head to Martinsville. Car No48, Jimmie Johnson, has a 69-point lead over his closest challenger Jeff Burton and has won three of the last four races at the circuit. Jeff Gordon also runs well here, but he's having a 'mare and is way down the standings in eighth place with an unbridgeable 245-point deficit. As Johnson bids to record his third consecutive Sprint Cup title, you wouldn't bet against the Hendrick Motorsport's driver triumphing here, at the oldest track on the Cup's calendar.
