Yesterday’s Russian Grand Prix clarified the championship picture as the F1 world turns its eyes to COTA. Warning: here be spoilers.
With Lewis Hamilton again topping the podium at Sochi and Nico Rosberg retiring for the second time in four races, Hamilton’s lead over his teammate in the World Drivers’ Championship standings has reached an almost insurmountable 73 points. Meanwhile, Sebastian Vettel finished at P2 and vaulted himself to second in the WDC standings, sitting 66 points behind Hamilton.
What does this mean for the FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX in two weeks? It’s really quite simple. If Hamilton scores 9 more points than Vettel at COTA, he will be crowned world champion for the second straight year and third time in his brilliant career. Should Hamilton win his third GP at COTA, Vettel would need to place no higher than P3 in order for Hamilton to secure another WDC. Hamilton also needs to outscore Rosberg by only two points in order to eliminate his teammate from title contention.
At the conclusion of the Russian Grand Prix, it appeared the World Constructors’ Championship could also be decided right here at COTA, but a 30-second penalty knocked Scuderia Ferrari’s Kimi Räikkönen from P5 to P8. The resulting loss of points handed Mercedes AMG Petronas their second title in a row.
Seeing a champion crowned is one of the most thrilling things one can witness in sports. COTA will be abuzz with the possibility of witnessing history should the cards fall in Hamilton’s favor October 23-25. Tickets for the FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX are available at circuitoftheamericas.com.
