Gap to Vettel is ‘only a win and a bit’ insists Hamilton

The reigning world champion is adamant he is not unbeatable, but at present there is no one who can hold a candle to Vettel in his all-conquering Red Bull.

Taking the end of last season into consideration Vettel has scored five successive pole positions and won six of the last eight races.

In making it three out of four this season, Vettel has opened up a 34-point gap to Hamilton, with Button 47 points adrift, which even at this stage is a considerable cushion.

In addition, in the space of three weeks Hamilton has gone from race winner to finding himself 40 seconds adrift of Vettel in fourth place in Sunday’s Turkish Grand Prix.

Hamilton said: “Thirty-four points is a very big gap at the moment. But what can I do? He’s not really the guy we’re racing. It’s all the other guys – Webber, Jenson, Fernando, Massa. That’s really where the fight is because it’s too easy.

“He was cruising in (Sunday’s) race, for sure, and I’ve got to be on the ragged edge to try and get every little step I can possibly get.

“At the moment it’s very, very similar to when Schumacher was dominating. Now Sebastian is dominating – pole position at all four races this season, and he’s nearly won all four.”

With Vettel scoring 93 points from a possible 100, and given the resources available to Red Bull, there is already talk the championship could reach a swift conclusion this year.

“I don’t have a fear that will happen, but it is a reality, it is possible, but it is also possible we could catch up and overtake them,” added Hamilton

“Then we might see at the next race they will have a bigger upgrade than us, and it will be the same again.

“But the gap is only a win and a bit, so for example if he doesn’t have a good race in Barcelona and we win we’re back in the fight again.

“It’s easy to say now it’s all doom and gloom, but it’s not at all. There are many races to go, and we’re not a million miles off with our race pace, it’s just qualifying. If we can get the car on pole position then we’ll be smiling.”

Button is two race wins behind Vettel in the wake of his sixth-placed finish at Istanbul Park.

When it was suggested the title was already starting to slip away, Button was quick to snap back.

“It’s not something I’ve thought about this weekend, it’s really not,” added Button.

“You do your own thing, and whatever happens at the end of the year happens.

“What’s the point in saying it’s slipped away? There’s no point in that at all is there? We might as well all go home.”