'Bottas is now more useful than Perez'

Confidence in Bottas

Former driver Martin Brundle is a long-time analyst for Sky Sports. When, among other things, Autosport.com asked him the question of who will play a more important role in deciding the title fight, the Briton thinks Bottas could be the man. "I honestly think it's possible Valtteri could finish in front of Max more than Sergio could finish in front of Lewis. So I think that might just play into the title. One of these last two races, it's just possible Valtteri will take some points of Max somewhere. And I don't see Sergio taking points off Lewis."

Brundle reckons there are still 88 points to collect for the constructors' title. "So another one that could go either way. It just depends on... I don't know if the Mercedes really flies and Valtteri has one of his on days like in Istanbul, for example, or the sprint race in Brazil."

More bad luck

Martin Brundle believes that both Verstappen and Hamilton deserve the title this year, although he adds that the Dutchman had more bad luck. He cites, for example, the blowout in Azerbaijan - when Verstappen was leading - and the British Grand Prix, where he and Hamilton collided.

"I think both of them deserve it," said Brundle.

"If you look at laps led, races won so far and all of that, and I think he's [Max] been a little bit more unlucky with the tyre in Baku, the result of the contact in Silverstone, being skittled in Hungary. Then Lewis got a little bit lucky when with his shunt in Imola, where he was a lap behind, suddenly, you know, finishing second and all that sort of thing. But it kind of feels like, season long, Max has had the best season so far, if you look at the numbers. I think either of them deserve it, but it just feels as if it's been Max's to lose, through bad luck or bad judgment or whatever. That's how the season feels to me."