The opening few Formula 1 Grands Prix of the 2018 season have raised several questions – can Ferrari score a third win in four races and put real pressure on Lewis Hamilton?
Before everyone points out that Hamilton sits second in the championship — yes, yes, he is just nine points behind leader Sebastian Vettel — he has rarely looked like he’s challenging for glory. While he was utterly dominant but foiled by the unfortunate timing of the virtual safety car in Australia, in the subsequent two Grands Prix he has been off the pace. Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas has outqualified and outraced Hamilton in both Bahrain and China and, after crashing during qualifying in Australia, it could be argued that Bottas has been the better of the two Mercedes drivers so far.
What separates the two, however, and what has allowed Hamilton to lead the team, is Hamilton’s ability to score points consistently, even when victory is not a realistic possibility. In fact, the last time that Hamilton failed to register a point was Oct. 2, 2016, at the Malaysian Grand Prix — an incredible run of 28 Grands Prix to take the record, which he previously shared with Scuderia Ferrari Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen, for his own.
After a run of two consecutive victories, things went south for Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari in China. The unfortunate timing of the midrace safety car meant that, unlike the two Red Bull drivers, the German driver was unable to react and pit himself. This and the subsequent contact with Max Verstappen saw the 2018 Formula One championship leader finish eighth. A similar outcome in Azerbaijan, where safety car interventions are all too common, would potentially see Sebastian lose his championship lead with any one of Hamilton, Bottas, Daniel Ricciardo and Raikkonen within striking distance.
Key stats
Circuit name: Baku Street Circuit
Laps: 51
Circuit length: 3.73 miles
Race distance: 190.17 miles
Fastest race lap: 1:32.238 (1:43.441 Sebastian Vettel 2017)
2017 pole time: 1:40.593 (Lewis Hamilton)
Last year
A surprise winner, teammates crashing, two title rivals deliberately making contact, spectacular overtakes — there was nothing this race didn’t have.
On the second safety car restart of the race, Sebastian Vettel ran into the back of Hamilton. Feeling as though Hamilton had brake-tested him, Vettel pulled alongside to vent his frustration but then inexplicably turned into the side of the Mercedes. Sebastian would receive a 10-second stop-go penalty for his actions.
After a brief red flag period to clear up the carbon fiber-strewn track, Lewis Hamilton discovered that his headrest was loose and, after pitting to rectify the issue, found himself behind his Ferrari rival.
Making the most of the situation was Daniel Ricciardo, who, after a series of impressive overtakes, was able to spray the champagne.
Leave a Reply