Struggles look ominous for Ferrari leader as teammate Charles Leclerc goes past him in the F1 drivers’ championshipHis title hopes long gone, after a disastrous race in Monza, Sebastian Vettel now faces a battle just to beat his teammate. Charles Leclerc’s win put him ahead of the German into fourth. Vettel’s problem is that his touch seems to have deserted him. Much was rightly made of his unsafe return to the track but Vettel’s long-term issue was illustrated by the spin that precipitated it. The unforced error in losing the rear at Ascari was yet another mistake to add to the others that have increasingly blighted his performances. Related: Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc delights Italian F1 GP crowd with Monza win...
The track drew praise from several drivers after Sunday’s British GP for encouraging competitive racing and it also benefited from the stewards allowing hard but fair racingWith the signing of a new contract to host F1 for a further five years there was a celebratory air at Silverstone. That F1 had done the right thing was confirmed in spades on Sunday, when the old airfield delivered a marvellous race. The drivers revelled in it and the opportunity for genuine racing it affords. F1’s problems in following closely have not gone away but they are negated on good tracks. Silverstone’s layout encourages a fight and several of the corner sequences give drivers the chance to come back during an attempted pass...
F1 connoisseurs were virtually unanimous in their views over the penalty that not only robbed Sebastian Vettel in Canada but also ruined a classic finish between the world’s best two driversAs a simmering Sebastian Vettel stalked into the room where the top three drivers in a grand prix wipe away their sweat and prepare to mount the podium, the only vacant seat was one under a large portrait of another Ferrari driver, a hero of the past. As well as being the man who gave his name to the circuit on which the Canadian Grand Prix had just been held, Gilles Villeneuve remains a symbol of motor racing at its most daring and flamboyant.Villeneuve was killed in 1982, halfway through...
F1 driver has proved competitive from the off and before Baku, the Scuderia must be considering whether he is the better betFew would have thought the spectre of team orders would loom over the new Formula One season so soon. Yes, Ferrari had been honest in saying they would favour Sebastian Vettel over his teammate Charles Leclerc in 50-50 situations but after three races where they have employed team orders in every one, it seems the Scuderia have been taken aback that Leclerc’s performances have forced them into dictating to their drivers quite so soon. Managing them on track is one issue the Scuderia must handle but as they head to Baku for this week’s race, they must now also...
The speed with which Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes learn from mistakes has been critical in the F1 title raceThe title is long gone for Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel and they know it. Indeed it would be hugely surprising if Lewis Hamilton does not win his fifth championship in Mexico this weekend. Yet for Vettel and the Scuderia presenting a coherent and constructive challenge for the last three races could be cause for optimism in a season when they have let the championship slip away.After showing strong pace at the US Grand Prix, where Kimi Räikkönen won and Vettel believed he had the speed to do the same but for his grid penalty and spin, Ferrari seem to have found their...