The knowledge of being the fastest driver on the grid has, in the past, been like a millstone around Lewis Hamilton’s neck.
The thought he ought to be winning in those fallow years after his 2008 world title win ate away at him, the frustration there in every interview after a race that went awry, equally apparent as he tried to force overtaking manoeuvres from one weekend to the next.
There was always the sense he knew he was the best – without a hint of arrogance, merely a simple reality his is a rawer, more natural talent than that of his peers. So, to scrap it away for the minor positions saw too much emotion spill from a racer who always likes to say he drives with his heart.
For arguably the first time in his career, he has the quickest car on the grid, one capable of matching his talent but, even then, things have not entirely gone to plan.
He arrived in Monza with the spotlight firmly on him. For the third time this season he had more than a race win of points to make up on teammate Nico Rosberg – on this occasion a tally of 29.
The knowledge was there that he could not afford another slipup so, when his car faltered at the start, and he was swamped by those behind him, coupled with seeing Rosberg pull away in a smoke of tyres, he could have panicked.
The Hamilton of old would have done so, but calmly, assuredly he picked his way through the field to close up on Rosberg, even disobeying team orders in the process.
Like an animal stalking his prey, he would not be deterred from his course, even when the command came over the race radio to ease off and save his tyres for the anticipated inter-Mercedes scuffle at the end of the race. He paid no attention and simply went faster, Rosberg made an error and the race was very much his.
Any suggestion that it was a result manufactured by Mercedes as payback for Rosberg effectively having driven Hamilton out of the race in Spa, was a conspiracy theory too far. Such a possibility was pure and utter nonsense, and was dealt with by the team as such.
Looking more broadly at the Hamilton of now, at 29, he appears to have finally matured.
He may like to say he drives with his heart, but he increasingly does so with his head too, biding his time to make the move when it arises rather than forcing it.
Monza was a perfect case in point, he had no need to risk a collision with Rosberg – a la Spa the previous race weekend – merely to ensure that Rosberg’s mirrors were full enough of Hamilton’s Merc to ensure the pressure piled on.
Hamilton still has 22 points to claw back – although he likes to point out there are still 175 on the table this season – but he has the edge over Rosberg both in terms of his talent and mental toughness.
While Rosberg has impressed throughout 2014 – many thought he would lag well behind his teammate – he does lag behind Hamilton in terms of mental strength, in part, down to the fact the Briton has been in title fights before and knows what it takes to win. This is a first for Rosberg and the signs are there that the German knows this could be his one and only shot at it.
In that regard, the Hamilton of Mercedes is a far cry from the one at McLaren, known for moments of petulance and virtually on first name terms with the race stewards so often was he called to task over his litany of race misdemeanours. He even joked in his pre-race column that it was refreshing in the post-Spa meeting to not be the driver to get in trouble.
Rosberg is clearly feeling the strain of being the championship leader. In his post-Monza haze, Hamilton even said as much, making a further dig that he planned to pile further pressure on his former friend, now foe in the coming races.
The next two races – Singapore and Austin – are ones he has won before while Rosberg has not. Hamilton goes into them with the psychological momentum on his side.
Were he to pull off the championship, it would be a remarkable achievement. He has had three retirements – none of them his fault – the most recent in Spa, the engine failure in Australia and the brake problem in Canada. He would be a thoroughly deserving champion.
