With just a couple of races to go for the 2014 Formula One (F1) season, one might be tempted to feel that the man at the centre of it all, Britain's Lewis Hamilton, already has one hand on the Drivers' Championship. Despite the new system of double points for the last race, second place on the podium in the final two fixtures - Brazil and Abu Dhabi, would give Hamilton his second F1 drivers' title, adding to his earlier triumph in 2008.
What possibly could Mercedes teammate, Germany's Nico Rosberg, hope for in a scenario like this against a man who has five races on the trot to his name, not to mention his own form or the lack of it - Rosberg's last race win coming more than three months ago in Germany? Well, the German could perhaps be permitted to seek solace from the fact that Hamilton is probably not the best in business with the finishing line so near.
Back in 2007, the year in which 22-year old Hamilton in his debut season driving for McLaren-Mercedes could do no wrong, at least so it seemed until the penultimate race of the season in China. With a lead of 12 points from then teammate Fernando Alonso, Hamilton seemed to have things under control in treacherously wet conditions.
Struggling on the 'wrong' tyres (intermediate), he was eventually called into the pits, but was it a bit too late? The rookie driver failed to negotiate the pit lane and slid into the gravel, which ended his race, thereby handing a new lease of life to Alonso and Ferrari rival Kimi Raikkonen. Call it a lack of judgement on the team's part or a driver error, the damage had been done.
But all was not lost. In fact on the contrary, despite the setback all Hamilton required going into Brazil's Interlagos circuit was a fifth-place finish. Alas, a gearbox problem at the start of the race meant that he could only manage to come up seventh best. Hamilton was also done no favours by Raikkonen, who went on to win the Chinese as well as the Brazilian Grands Prix to clinch the championship by a single point.
The year 2008 was of course a different story for Lewis Hamilton, who lifted his maiden Drivers' Championship. Having said that, it almost did not happen. Once again, the Brit went into the final race of the season in Brazil with a comfortable seven-point lead over his nearest challenger and home favourite, Brazil's Filipe Massa driving for Ferrari. It almost ended up being a sense of déjà vu for Hamilton, with Massa winning the race and Hamilton almost leaving it till the final corners to snatch his much-needed fifth place by overtaking Timo Glock driving for Toyota, who was battling massive tyre issues towards the closing stages of the race. Redemption achieved for 2007? Well, just about.
Coming back to the current season, it is hard to imagine history repeating itself against Hamilton. After all lightning is not supposed to strike twice. However, it almost did six years ago and Nico Rosberg will be hoping against hope that it does once again because back-to-back wins in the final two races of the year might still not do the trick for him.
