Following a rather poor performance in Singapore, there is no doubt that Nico Rosberg’s championship hopes are in jeopardy. Scoring no points for his early race retirement due to a technical failure on the car, Rosberg has given the Lewis Hamilton his spot at the top of the 2014 World Championship table.
At the start of the 2014 season, Hamilton was the fan favourite; with an astonishing four wins in a row, he was many people’s pick of the World title. Despite a retirement at the start of the Australian Grand Prix, Hamilton was able to decrease his point defecate to Rosberg and eventually lead the championship for one weekend. However, following the Monaco Grand Prix – in which he finished runner-up to Rosberg – his team got stuck in a rut. With only one win in the next six races and two race retirements, Hamilton fans were beginning to panic.
However, Hamilton appears to have bounced back with a win in Italy and another in Singapore. While Hamilton in striving once again, Rosberg seems to be going through some dark times. With two costly mistakes in Italy and a retirement in Singapore, it has become evident that he is not operating at his fullest potential. Being in a decline this late in the season is going to put his championship dreams out of reach. And with the pressure to achieve a high finishing position resting on his shoulders, the path to season recovery will be all but easy.
Why is Rosberg struggling? Is it mental fatigue or did the four leaf clover fall out of his car? Firstly, Rosberg has lost some fan support following the accident and accusations in Belgium. It is impossible to believe that a driver will be able to operate at maximum performance if they are without a loyal group of supporters. Fans boost a driver’s confidence and give a driver the will to race well.
Secondly, Rosberg is feeling the pressure right now. With Hamilton so close in the points, Rosberg surely knows that ever position or second gained, could determine whether he wins or loses. With the amount of wheel to wheel racing between the pair this season and the fact that Hamilton has secured more World Championships and wins than Rosberg, will certainly increase the pressure.
The final factor for Rosberg’s decline is that his luck has run out. The car from the beginning of the season has died. Now he suffers mechanical issues. It happened earlier in the season as well, but his car is clearly in shambles now. It lacks the speed and performance that it had previously and it is getting a little late in the season to reverse the damage.
But the real question is: who will become the World Champion? I have said it from day one and I am still saying it now: Lewis Hamilton will become the 2014 World Champion. The other drivers like Daniel Ricciardo and Fernando Alonso are too far behind to put up a real fight for the title, so that only leaves the two Mercedes drivers that are now just three points apart. Of the two, Hamilton has the better Formula One experience: 1 World Championship, 29 wins and 1328 career points. In addition, Hamilton has proven that he is the better driver this season, performing much better than his teammate. And of course we cannot forget that the momentum is now on Hamilton’s side.
No matter who wins, best of luck to all 22 drivers in the 2014 season and I hope that the battle for the championship comes down to the wire. This has been my most memorable season – although I have only been a hardcore fan since 2013 – and one that has kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way. I will surely remember this season for the rest of my life.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer or company. Assumptions made in any analysis contained within this article are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the author.
