GAME ON!
L
ewis Hamilton may have taken the spoils
in the Chinese Grand Prix but Sebastian
Vettel’s second-place finish provided clear
evidence that Ferrari appear more than capable
of taking the fight to the Briton’s Mercedes tam.
Vettel sprung something of a surprise when
he won last month’s season opener in Australia
and despite racing on a vastly different layout in
much cooler weather, there was little to choose
between the two for a second weekend in a row.
The results in Melbourne and Shanghai
have raised hopes that the early-season
rivalry between a duo with seven Formula One
championships between them and locked on
43 points apiece in the overall standings, could
become a full-blown title duel.
The China performance in particular
also erased any lingering doubts about the
championship credentials of the sport’s most
successful team, for whom the season-opening
triumph marked a welcome return to form after
a winless 2016.
“On a track and in conditions which were
very different from those we had in Melbourne,
we proved that we have a strong car,” Ferrari
team principal Maurizio Arrivabene said.
Ferrari have looked competitive since
pre-season testing and there was very little
between Vettel and Hamilton in terms of pace
and performance throughout the Shanghai
weekend.
Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki
Lauda went so far as to suggest that Vettel had
the speed to seize Ferrari’s first pole position
since the Singapore Grand Prix in 2015 but
Hamilton did just enough in qualifying to secure
top spot.