There were doubts, scares and a new rivalry to enjoy, but the result was familiar in Formula One’s hybrid era: Lewis Hamilton is world champion.
Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari’s return to the title picture has breathed much-needed fresh air through F1 after the stale fug of the Hamilton-Rosberg battle left Mercedes fighting with themselves, but the Scuderia’s late-season fade, allied with Red Bull’s early-season woes, mean the Silver Arrows and Hamilton are peerless again.
A fourth world title moves Hamilton level with Vettel, but this has been a season in which the Briton reached new heights, establishing himself as the greatest one-lap man in F1’s history.
