Lewis Hamilton has raised his game, but whether the Mercedes driver can deny Ferrari a second successive win of the season in China this weekend remains to be seen. On paper, the triple world champion is still the man to beat — the most successful driver by far in Shanghai with four wins. "Lewis is the best Lewis that I’ve seen in the last four years, on and off the track," said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff after the Briton started on pole and finished second to Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel in the Australian season-opener. "He has become a pillar of this team and he proved that in Melbourne," Wolff said. But Vettel is leading the championship, the first time a non-Mercedes driver has done that since he took his fourth title with Red Bull in 2013 and once-dominant Mercedes have a fight on their hands. Mercedes, who have taken the drivers and constructors’ titles for the past three years, have won four of the past five races in China. As Melbourne showed however, past form may count fo...
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