Lewis Hamilton is still in the fight for the 2011 world championship.
That is the insistence of his father Anthony Hamilton, who after splitting with the McLaren driver as manager now handles the career of Force India rookie Paul di Resta.
Even before crashing out of the recent Canadian grand prix, 26-year-old Hamilton said of Sebastian Vettel’s runaway points lead: "He’s gone, he’s on his way."
Then, in the Montreal race, Hamilton’s retirement dropped him behind his teammate Jenson Button and also Mark Webber in the drivers’ standings, a full 76 points shy of Vettel’s lead.
"For me, Valencia will be a weekend of consolidation after two disappointing results in Monaco and Canada," said the Briton.
But Hamilton’s father thinks a merely solid result is an underestimation of his son’s true potential, tipping him to take the chequered flag by the time of the season finale in late November.
"If I were a gambling man, I’d put some money on Lewis winning the championship this year," Hamilton snr told the Daily Mail. "You’ll get some great odds. He can do it."
At present, 2008 world champion Hamilton is about 14/1 to win his second title in 2011, while Red Bull’s Vettel is the overwhelming odds-on favourite.
Said Lewis Hamilton: "We’ve arguably had the fastest race car in the last three races, and that’s really encouraging because I know that, when it’s put to best use, I should be able to finish at the front."