Note to Lewis: now’s the time to be conservative

No F1 driver is harder on his tyres than Lewis Hamilton. He’s an aggressive, rough driver - in direct contrast with a classically “smooth” driver like Alain Prost - whose style was forged in his days as a precocious young karter.

Lewis has already had several tyre issues this season, and we remember back to Turkey this season, when McLaren put him on a three-stop strategy - because the team was worried that his driving style would result in a puncture on his front-right tyre.

Shanghai is tougher than most circuits on tyres. It features several long, demanding corners. We all saw what happened to Hamilton’s tyres last year in China, when they were so shot that he couldn’t make it into the pit lane - you could argue that his intense driving style cost him the world title.

Hamilton has said he won’t take any risks this weekend, but he also said he won’t change his attacking style. That could be a mistake. Surely it’s far better to drive more conservatively than in Japan and finish in the points than drive like a manaic, lead the GP for most of the race but then retire. Surely?

Ron Dennis needs to get the message to Lewis: take it easier than usual, when given the opportunity. See the bigger picture. Don’t flat-spot your tyres… again. If Lewis can do that and make two podiums in the last two races, the title will almost certainly be his.