Grapevine: Hamilton guns for Rankings top spot

The McLaren driver has taken the lead of the world championship thanks to recent wins in Turkey and Canada and a second place at the European Grand Prix.

That has allowed him to move up to second place in the Castrol Rankings, behind only Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, who has held the number one spot for the last 15 weeks.

A win for Hamilton would leave Vettel needing a podium finish of his own to stand a chance of retaining his position. Even this might not be enough though if the 2008 world champion can grab the bonus points for pole position and fastest laps.

Hamilton's McLaren team-mate Jenson Button looks likely to climb from his current eighth spot. A top-five finish will move him ahead of IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti, who is not in action this weekend.

That would increase Britain's lead at the top of the Castrol Nations Rankings and put Button second among his countrymen.

Things look tougher for Red Bull's Mark Webber. He is unlikely to lose his third place to NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, but will probably not move up either, as he is defending a large score from the corresponding race last year.

Johnson, in oval action at Chicagoland, will have to watch his mirrors though as Sebastien Loeb stands a great chance of usurping him if he can win Rally Bulgaria. A victory could even move the Citroen driver into the top three.

A podium finish would allow Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso (11) to crack the top 10, while Renault's Robert Kubica (14) has even more to gain, defending only a 14th place finish from the corresponding race last year.

Barring a poor qualifying and a first-lap retirement, seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher (108) is guaranteed to move into the top 100 as well. It would also put him eighth among the Germans.

To see the full Castrol Rankings, visit www.castroldriverrankings.com