A weekend that had begun with such optimism for Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari ended with the team and driver bearing the demeanour of the defeated. They should have done better. Vettel had hit the wall in FP2, ending his session. He insisted it made no difference to his preparation but crucially second practice was the only one run in exactly the same night conditions as qualifying. Lewis Hamilton pointedly noted that small events have ramifications and he was right. The race might have been different had Vettel been on pole but, forced to go aggressive, Ferrari’s strategy failed. The undercut did not work, he hit traffic and he was on the wrong tyre – losing second to Max Verstappen. The title looks as if it has gone and the Scuderia increasingly appear to need a comprehensive overhaul. Vettel can deliver but he needs the car and sharp minds on the pit wall that have been missing of late.
Related: Lewis Hamilton ‘going from strength to strength’ after Singapore F1 win
Continue reading...