Ferrari's self-sabotage is handing 2018 to Mercedes
There's no question Mercedes now has the fastest car in Formula 1 again, and Lewis Hamilton is also in arguably his greatest form yet. But a run of unfathomably poor decisions by Ferrari at Suzuka made the title battle outcome even more obvious.
Motorsport.com's Prime content
The best content from Motorsport.com Prime, our subscription service. Subscribe here to get access to all the features.
Pressure is a funny thing. Some thrive under it, others fold, and the Japanese Grand Prix laid bare the difference between a secure Mercedes team on the brink of yet another world championship double, and an insecure Ferrari squad seemingly intent on self-sabotage.
Lewis Hamilton's accomplished victory, taking pole position, leading every lap and only being denied a 'grand slam' by Sebastian Vettel's pace on the penultimate lap, was immaculate. But for Vettel, fastest lap was the most feeble of consolation prizes as he finished sixth after a weekend of mishaps both for himself and Ferrari.
Share Or Save This Story
Archive: When the French GP almost produced F1's greatest shock
The lost F1 team that launched Newey
Why Haas' dreary 2019 season is bad news for F1
The real step that ended McLaren’s F1 nightmare
Rating the 2019 Formula 1 rookies
How Toro Rosso gave Renault a major scare
Will Williams' 2019 soul-searching be enough?
The top 10 Formula 1 drivers of 2019
Red Bull’s F1 rivals facing 2027 wait if they want Newey
2024 NASCAR at Dover schedule, entry list, and how to watch
The plot twist that gave Arrow McLaren’s Ward his first win as team principal
WRC looking to add F1-style team radio to TV broadcasts
The F1 hero-to-zero dividing line that has never been so thin
How Stroll and Magnussen revealed the scale of F1’s racing and rules problems
Did F1's new sprint format work?
Chinese Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2024
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
