Hamilton 'proud' to avoid Vettel's mistakes

Lewis Hamilton says he is "proud" to have avoided making the kind of mistakes that have wrecked Sebastian Vettel's title challenge in 2018. Ferrari's strategy failed at the Singapore Grand Prix ,after Vettel had lost practice time by hitting the wall, with Hamilton opening up a 40-point championship lead with victory.

Hamilton has embarked on a typical mid-season surge, winning four of the last five grands prix to put himself in position for a fifth world title.

Vettel, on the other hand, has seen favourite status at most of those races count for nought. On-track mistakes in Germany and Italy have been compounded by strategy missteps at Hungary and Singapore.

Hamilton does not put it down to luck that he has been in position to benefit, however, and says Mercedes are not waiting for more Ferrari fumbles in the final six races of the season.

The reigning champion said: "I don't look at it and think 'we've lucked in'.

"When Vettel hit the wall the other day, damaged the car and lost running on the track, that's not us lucking in. I take a lot of pride in not putting myself in those positions.

"I know my team is relying on me just as his team is relying on him. There's a lot of pressure on us drivers. It's only small percentages that you get wrong and they have bigger ramifications.

"As a team we honestly don't waste any time wondering what they're doing, or if they're feeling pressure, or if they're feeling happy or unhappy.

"There's nothing we can do about them, all we can do is be the best we can over a weekend."

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