Although it was without surprise that Hamilton crossed the finish line as drivers’ champion last year, it diminished neither his celebration nor his achievement. However this begs the question as to whether Lewis Hamilton can defend his drivers’ title in 2015?
In the later half of 2014 he was an in-suppressible force that deafened his critics by achieving something that eluded Rosberg; overtaking his teammate to claim race victories.
Accepting the FIA’s Pole Position trophy was bittersweet for Nico. Knowing that he was faster than Lewis yet unable to overtake him lit a fire in his belly that radiated throughout the Mercedes garage.
From the moment the Mercedes drivers collided in Spa the entire complexion of the season changed, tipping the advantage very much in Hamilton’s favour. Rosberg was gun-shy in defense, and right up until the final laps of the season needed a miracle to emerge the victor.
In 2009 Jenson Button and the all-conquering Brawn disrupted Hamilton’s title defense, however pre-season testing should confirm what we all suspect; the Mercedes will again be equal parts beast and machinery.
Williams and Red Bull enter 2015 with something to prove, both having spent the off-season trying to close the performance gap.
Despite encouragement from the recent signing of Sebastian Vettel, for Ferrari to arrive in Albert Park with a race-winning car would be a tremendous surprise.
A question mark remains over McLaren and new engine supplier Honda who face a tough year thanks to a regulatory loop-hole that will deny them the same in-season development as rivals like Renault and Ferrari. It is not the return to F1 that the Japanese manufacturer would have hoped for, nor deserves.
Yet, as Ferrari proved last year, the responsibility for delivering championship points remains primarily on the drivers’ shoulders.
For Lewis the most potent threat will come from within the Mercedes camp. Although he has proven a polarising figure with fans, one thing is certain for Nico Rosberg; he will not let the events of last season hold him back this year.
Formula One season 2015 presents a clean slate for the German who is still striving to fulfil his potential. With patience and focus race victories will come his way, something that should worry Hamilton.
We’ve seen, on more than one occasion that Hamilton has what it takes to win the championship. Now fans will have the opportunity to see truly see how comfortable he is with the label reigning world champion.
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