Lewis Hamilton yesterday predicted that his championship battle with Sebastian Vettel will go down to the final race of the season — but has warned that his rival may prove difficult to beat.

Hamilton, 32, halved Vettel’s lead at the summit of the title race after he took the chequered flag in Belgium on Sunday to move to within seven points of the Ferrari driver.

The high-speed nature of the Spa-Francorchamps track had been expected to play to Mercedes’ strengths, but Hamilton was required to be at his very best to stave off the threat from Vettel and his resurgent Ferrari team. Indeed Hamilton subsequently claimed that Vettel was faster than his Mercedes in race trim.