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 A third world title, which would lift the Mercedes driver level with
boyhood hero Ayrton Senna and British great Jackie Stewart, looks
increasingly likely but Europe will play a big part in deciding
that.
Although Hamilton said after Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix that he
felt more comfortable and 'powerful' in the car than last year, when
he won 11 races, he actually has no more wins at this stage than he
did in 2014.
The biggest difference is better reliability, and the failure so far
of team mate Nico Rosberg to raise his game.
In 2014, Hamilton started the season with a retirement in Australia
through no fault of his own and then won in Malaysia, Bahrain and
China. He also started three of the four on pole position.
Rosberg, meanwhile, won the opener in Melbourne and followed it up
with three second places.
That meant that it was the German, not Hamilton, who headed to Spain
in the overall lead -- albeit by a mere four points.
This season, Hamilton has started every race on pole and won in
Australia, China and Bahrain while finishing second to Ferrari's
Sebastian Vettel in Malaysia.
Rosberg, by contrast, has chalked up two second and two third
places.
The German needs to lift his game quickly, just as he did last year
after Hamilton reeled off four wins in a row before being beaten in
Monaco, Canada, Austria, Germany, Hungary and Belgium.
The title battle was, of course, kept alive somewhat artificially
due to the awarding of double points for the final race in Abu Dhabi
but that unloved experiment has now been scrapped.
Formula One's commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who was a big
advocate of what others saw as a gimmick, said before the start of
this season that he feared Hamilton could consequently have the
championship won by Monza in September.
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But to do so, or at least wrap it up with several races to spare,
the Briton will need to win those races that eluded him last year --
although Germany has since dropped off the calendar.
"I don't think it moves me up a gear, I'm already in a pretty good
gear," Hamilton said on Sunday as he contemplated the return to
Europe and the Spanish Grand Prix on May 10, followed by Monaco on
May 24.
"Last year obviously I was catching up (after the blank in
Australia) and then here I didn't qualify on pole but did get the
win.
"This weekend I got the pole and did the job. Now I've got to
improve when I get to Barcelona, I don't want to be back where I was
last year."
Monaco, a race Senna won six times, is a particular favorite and
target. Hamilton won there with McLaren in 2008 but local resident
Rosberg will be going for a hat-trick after victories in 2013 and
2014.
"I've come second twice and fourth once. That's not good, especially
as Senna won it so many times," said the champion. "So I've got to
get on it."
(Editing by Ed Osmond)
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