Mercedes looking more dominant than it ever has
LONDON: The first three races of the Formula One season have made a mockery of preseason predictions Ferrari would set the pace and leave Mercedes struggling to keep up.
The standings may not tell the full story, and luck has played a part, but on paper Mercedes is more dominant than ever while Ferrari has fallen well short of expectations.
‘‘We’ve soon got to stop talking about Ferrari this, Ferrari that, Ferrari amazing power . . . because they are not delivering,’’ former grand prix driver and Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle said.
Mercedes, the team that has won every championship for the past five years, completed a hattrick of successive onetwo finishes at Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix.
The only reason Mercedes cannot claim a perfect start is the introduction this season of a point for the fastest race lap. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was quickest in Bahrain and Red Bull’s Pierre Gasly in Shanghai.
Otherwise, it has done something that escaped even Ferrari during the golden era when it won six successive constructors’ titles and Michael Schumacher five championships in a row in 200004.
The last team to start a season with three successive onetwos was Williams, with Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese, in 1992.
And yet fivetime champion Lewis Hamilton, team mate Valtteri Bottas and principal Toto Wolff were still talking about luck, small margins and tough battles ahead after winning Formula One’s 1000th world championship race.
‘‘Considering it was a real struggle this weekend, I’m really grateful for the result, Hamilton, winner on Sunday, said.
The Briton was right to point out it would have been a different story if Leclerc’s Ferrari had not lost power while leading in Bahrain but ‘‘could have, would have, should have’’ never won anything.
‘‘I’m just not sure they’ve really hooked up a proper solid weekend just yet,’’ Hamilton, now back in the overall championship lead, said.
‘‘It was looking like it was going to be a solid weekend for them in Bahrain and then it started to tail off. This weekend, they were a bit up and down.
‘‘I think we’re overdelivering a little bit at the moment to our true potential but there’s still more to come,’’ he added.
Ferrari was quicker down the long main straight in China but Mercedes, whose engine has been the best of recent years, gained through the corners.
China was seen as a track where Ferrari would have the upper hand but it was Mercedes whose drivers lined up first and second on the grid.
‘‘Our car is maybe a bit draggier than theirs,’’ Wolff said.
‘‘On the speed and power we need to leave no stone unturned but in terms of managing the tyres, the downforce levels helped obviously.’’
The champion also got their strategy spot on, doublestacking its drivers brilliantly in a seamless pitstop on Sunday, while Ferrari invoked team orders in a move that backfired. — Reuters