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SAO PAULO, Brazil - Lewis Hamilton has produced championship-winning performance alongside former title favourite Nico Rosberg in the latter stages of 2014.
That is the claim of former F1 stars turned pundits including the outspoken 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, who said Mercedes' British driver deserves his title 'check mate' following five straight wins.
In contrast, Hamilton's team mate Rosberg, once the runaway leader in 2014, has fallen 24 points off the pace with just Brazil and then the 'double points' finale in Abu Dhabi still to go.
'THIS MEANS WAR!'
Villeneuve told the German magazine Sport Bild: "In the crucial moments, Hamilton has just been more aggressive and that's the only way you win a world championship."
Indeed, in the wake of his latest triumph at the 2014 Austin GP (Nov 2), an increasingly bullish and relaxed Hamilton said he found a new gear after Spa in August 2014, when he and Rosberg famously collided.
Hamilton said: "Spa was like 'I'm going to turn this up. This means war!', that kind of feeling."
Another pundit, David Coulthard, agrees with his contemporary Villeneuve that Rosberg might be missing the final piece of the title-winning puzzle.
Coulthard said: "I am almost embarrassed to criticise Nico because he is 95% the perfect driver. He is much better than I ever was technically, and he has the speed too but what he has not yet proved is that he has the necessary hardness in combat.
"He needs to change that urgently in the last races of the season - not only because of the championship, but because of his reputation."
