Lewis Hamilton needs to think as quickly as he drives. With some smarter decision-making, he could have avoided many of the multiple incidents he has caused this year.

In Singapore on Sunday he again misjudged a passing maneuver and found himself penalized with a "drive through" the pits. The collision also caused a puncture - and wrecked race - for Felipe Massa. The Ferrari driver confronted Hamilton in the media "bull ring" after the race. "Nice job," he said, sarcastically, giving the Briton a thumbs-up.

Hamilton is the fastest, most instinctive and exciting driver in F1 today - but he is also the most impulsive. And that can lead to trouble in a sport that, especially these days, requires a lot of thought.

The 16-time race winner doesn't often crash on his own. His talent is too great, his ability to perfectly balance his McLaren on the edge of adhesion too refined. And there are times (such as in qualifying for the German Grand Prix in July) when he makes the car, by sheer will and skill, go faster than physics would prescribe.

But the 26-year old too frequently - these days - bashes into others, breaking important aerodynamic parts from his car, drawing attention from the race stewards, and ruining his chances of repeating his 2008 championship victory.

Probably some of the decisions were a little harsh. Other drivers have caused similar problems and not been penalized. But they were lucky. Hamilton's previous form and the way he presents himself like a pop star - with big shades, yellow diamond ear studs and that ridiculous Amish-style beard - do not endear him to those blazer-wearing types at race control. Unnecessarily, he has created a weak spot for himself.

Lewis certainly seemed more grounded (and was less often in trouble) before he moved this year to Simon Fuller's artist management company, which also guides the Spice Girls, David Beckham and Jennifer Lopez.

So it was interesting to hear Hamilton say it was his father's idea to carry a message on his helmet in memory of two friends who died earlier this month: Martin Hines (a legend in the karting world) and Christian Bakkerud (a former rival). Anthony Hamilton was his son's manager in the days when Lewis rarely put a foot wrong.

Which is what Sebastian Vettel has done this year. No trendy styles for the German - he looks more like a schoolboy. Vettel's intensely focused, hard working and intelligent campaign provided his ninth win of the season on Sunday. This equalled a record set by Nigel Mansell and Michael Schumacher and leaves the 24-year-old needing just one point from the final five races to secure his second championship. Now that is smart.

After a successful career on the track, Matthew Marsh now works at JMI - the world's leading motor sport marketing company. He can be reached at mmarsh@justmarketing.com.