Going into the race I was telling my wife the best Hamilton can do is drive to 4th or 5th and hope something happens up front. Sure enough, Vettel wipes out and there's a huge swing in the points. 14th to 1st is hugely impressive. Lewis put his head down, got in position to let something happen, and took advantage to the tune of a 17 point lead in the points. I don't think it spells the end of Vettel's shot at the championship, especially the way this season has played out, but it does set him up for an uphill climb going into the break. That said, Hamilton's engine could blow next race and we're back where we were...

Not that everything was all rosy for Petronas. They nearly screwed the pooch with the aborted pit stop (and could have got a penalty from the stewarts after the race apparently). There are rumblings of 'team orders' when Bottas was having a legit go at Hamilton and the team called it off and let Lewis pass. I could easily understand if Valteri was peeved, but at the same time you have the chance to give Lewis a sizable lead in the driver standings, and leap Ferrari in the constructors standings if you avoid the mess Red Bull experienced earlier in the year when Max and Danny took each other out. With Ferrari showing they have the pace that Mercedes may or may not be able to match, ceeding the victory to Lewis was the logical choice, even if it meant Bottas sacrificed himself yet again. I think he'll catch Kimi for 3rd when it's all said and done, but not having a shot at a victory sucks, especially with the season he's had where he has led but can't seem to buy a win so far.

As much as I'm in the tank for Hamilton to win, I hated seeing Vettel DNF. He was crushed on the radio transmission when he hit the wall, sounding like he was in tears. For most of the season he's been more than a match for Hamilton, be it in Q3 or race day. While I'll say Petronas definitely gifted him at least 2 wins on bad strategy, Vettel has been flat out flying on the track when it has counted. This championship may go down to the last race, and whether Vettel or Hamilton ends up on top, they would have earned it.