Hamilton finds harmony

Lewis Hamilton credits improved reliability from Mercedes and a better relationship with his teammate as key factors behind his fourth Formula One championship.

He scored points in every F1 race this year, a first for him. He won nine, and broke Michael Schumacher’s record for pole positions. He has 72 to go with his 62 race wins, second only to Schumacher’s 91.

“I’m incredibly grateful to the team, we’ve had the best reliability,” Hamilton said on Friday. “I don’t remember another team having this reliability.”

Hamilton finished 46 points clear of Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, who won five races but capitulated in the second half of the season.

Hamilton has won the F1 title in three of the past four seasons with Mercedes, losing out to former teammate Nico Rosberg last year.

The two were teenage friends from their karting years, but the relationship turned increasingly sour from 2014-16. Rosberg was twice runner-up. Then, the German driver clinched his only F1 title in the final race of 2016.

Hamilton’s bitterness toward Rosberg seemingly lingers. He described him in minimal terms on Friday as “a member of the team last year.”

Hamilton much prefers fighting Vettel than Rosberg, who has retired.

“This year is the best year. I knew I would be fighting against Ferrari,” Hamilton said. “I wanted to bring a positive, rebuilt (and) re-structured me into the team.”

Rosberg stunned F1 by retiring days after securing his 2016 title, leaving Mercedes head of motorsport Toto Wolff to scramble for a new driver. He hired Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas from Williams.

“For me it was a lucky moment,” Bottas said at an event hosted by FIA. “I called Toto. I just wanted to make sure they knew I wanted to be in this team.”

Hamilton claims to enjoy ‘perfect harmony’ with Bottas. When asked to compare him with Rosberg, Hamilton was curt. “I wouldn’t compare them, I have no plans to,” Hamilton said.

On Bottas, he added, “There’s an incredible amount of respect between us. Ultimately we want to win the right way by being the fastest on the track. There’s nothing happening in the background, he’s not trying to do it any other way.”

Bottas won three races and finished 58 points behind Hamilton in third place.

“He’s very strong in his mind,” Hamilton said. “I’m anticipating he’s going to be even stronger next year, so I had better stay on my toes.”

Although Hamilton’s winning margin over Vettel was comfortable, the contest was tense until Vettel’s unexpected dip.

Hamilton trailed Vettel at the summer break but the second part of the season proved to be whole different story.

“I’m sure he’s learned a lot,” Hamilton said of Vettel. “I can’t expect him to make the same mistakes next year.”