Focused as ever, Lewis Hamilton is reaching new heights in his quest for greatness

But even though he currently leads Sebastian Vettel by 40 points with six races to go, Hamilton isn’t assuming anything, especially as 150 points remain on the table

Lewis Hamilton is proving untouchable at the moment as he eyes a fifth Championship title (Getty Images)

The way Lewis Hamilton is driving this year, it’s way past time that he should be judged alongside the all-time greats. There is a compelling majesty to his performances that’s bolstered by an underlying mental strength and confidence.

Of course, his boyhood idol was Ayrton Senna, but having seen many of the great Brazilian’s races I would venture that the Briton is driving every bit as well as he did, and at times better.

His pole lap in Singapore on Saturday was sensational, yet his mien seems less on-the-edge than Senna’s. And certainly his driving manners far exceed the three-time champion’s, and his successor Michael Schumacher’s. In that respect, Hamilton is far more reminiscent of nonpareil Jim Clark, Juan Manuel Fangio, Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart or Gilles Villeneuve.

“Naturally, I do feel great,” he said on Sunday evening. “We started off the year, I felt great, and then we tailed off and we had some struggles with the understanding of the car, how to utilise the equipment that we had tyre-wise and balance-wise. We had a couple of so-so races, and then luckily we found our footing.

“I think there are always areas you can improve upon, which we will continue to work on, but I definitely feel driving-wise, on the track, my knowledge and my approach to the balance that I have in my life in general is very good.

“I know some asked questions at the beginning of the weekend - and actually asked them quite nicely rather than aggressively which they could have done – so I’m glad people have seen this performance this weekend. And also for Toto, as he has been so instrumental in allowing me to bring Tommy along, which has been a life-changing experience having him as part of the team and having the opportunity to do what I have been doing with him.”

Tommy is, of course, fashion legend Tommy Hilfiger, who has experience of F1 from a former alliance with Team Lotus in the Nineties and whose TommyXLewis collaboration was the talk of New York Fashion Week leading up to the Singapore race.

Working on such different projects is something that has clearly benefited Hamilton in recent years, rather than distracting him from his core goals in racing. “It’s been really amazing, such a blessing, and I just said to Toto, don’t for a second ever believe or let it creep into your mind that I don’t want to win this championship more than anything.

“That is my priority. That is what I was saying to you guys the other day, you can see that from my time yesterday and my drive today, so that won’t change.”

Hamitlon in action during Sunday's race (EPA)

Neither will his full-on attacking mode, because once a warrior, always a warrior. Fashionista or not. Hamilton is not the type to willingly indulge in cruise and collect if there is a battle to be fought. “I think we’ve got a great approach,” he stressed. “As a team we have often outperformed a car that has been slightly better [the Ferrari] and we have outperformed Ferrari as a team, and we need to keep on doing that.”

Even though he currently leads Sebastian Vettel by 40 points with six races to go, he isn’t assuming anything, especially as 150 points remain on the table. The key, then, in what remains a tough challenge in the best world championship fight for years, is whether he and Mercedes can maintain that attacking energy.

“I knew I had to approach it differently driving-wise today to manage the tyres,” he revealed. “If you watch the race trace, you see at the end of the stint that my pace really took off, and I could have kept going for probably another two or three laps to be honest, but we had a good gap to Sebastian.

“Ultimately they [Ferrari] made a mistake by taking the ultrasoft tyres, because we knew from that point it would be a struggle [for them] to make the distance. And secondly I had a decent gap to him so it was not like they could undercut me really at the time. I really think that strategy wise we did a great job in that respect.

Hamilton now leads Vettel by 40 points (Getty)

“So, yeah, I do think so. Generally, I think we are going from strength to strength as a team in our understanding of the car, how to utilise the tools that we have. We are far more comfortable at our job right now.”

And, it remains unsaid, they are far more comfortable with that than Ferrari currently are. “Six races ago we were definitely questioning, still trying to find that bit of magic. But I think we have now figured the car out, we know where we are and we know what we have got to do.

“Also, in our debrief meetings, I have pushed them a lot about next year’s car. I know what I need improving for next year because I am pushing the guys doing the designing and they have to sign off things now already for next year’s tests. And also I am saying, can you bring things forward.

“In the Abu Dhabi race I want to be able to try new components, which takes a lot of work but which I might get to the race, because I want to feel them on a race weekend, rather than next year in February or March when we start testing. That’ll be too late. So I’m keeping the pressure on these guys.”

And, of course, on Ferrari and Vettel, who looked shell-shocked after qualifying and again after the race last weekend. But there is a lot of respect between the two title contending teams and their drivers, and Mercedes are under no illusion that Ferrari will bounce back, or that the tables might yet be turned.

That’s why 2018 has been such a great season. Hamilton headed to Thailand for a Puma engagement, before taking a couple of days off and then heading to Russia. “I definitely think performance-wise my second half of the season is usually where things really start to come together,” he admitted. “The focus is intense now and has to remain the same if not more, but we don’t need to change our approach.”