Can Sebastian Vettel maintain a serious title challenge to Mercedes?
After the most recent F1 offering in China, Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg returned the status quo of usual form, which left the former four-time world champion, Sebastian Vettel taking the only podium opportunity left with a third-place finish in his new Ferrari vehicle.
Previously in Malaysia, the Scuderia outfit won the tactical battle with their German constructor rivals as a two-stop strategy left Mercedes lagging behind in their tyre woes. The sport of Formula One desperately needs more than one team involved in a title fight, and here we will discuss the merits of Sebastian Vettel, and if he will pose any dangerous threat to Hamilton and Rosberg in 2015.
Current situation
If you look at the current Drivers’ Championship betting, Lewis Hamilton is currently trading at around 1/3 in fractional terms to retain his world crown. Teammate, Nico Rosberg can be taken at around 11/2, while his German counterpart, Sebastian Vettel is an 11/1 chance. Vettel currently has 55 points after the opening three races, and trails Britain’s Hamilton by thirteen points in the Drivers’ Standings, with Rosberg narrowly behind his compatriot on 51. Bahrain is next-up in the Formula One calendar – and with likely hot conditions, it could again suit Ferrari, and Vettel – as the race for the title really begins to warm up.
Hopeful signs
It is no secret to anyone who is interested in F1 that Ferrari have pace issues with Mercedes, but recent statistics from China prove that the gap is shortening. Before the safety car intervened with three laps remaining in Shanghai, Vettel’s Ferrari was around twenty seconds behind eventual winner Hamilton – and if you compare that to the opening race in Melbourne, the gap has closed by roughly ten seconds at the end of the Australian Grand Prix.
Vettel, and teammate Kimi Raikkonen have both heavily talked-up their teams’ hopes and season expectations in recent days. While some of that could be deemed as team propaganda, the signs of progress are there for Ferrari since the opening race in Australia.
No easy task
The flip-side of the argument is that twenty seconds is still a very large gap to overcome for Ferrari. The Scuderia outfit cannot just rely on tactics to win races, as they need outright speed to overtake their main rivals. Mercedes have dominated the sport of Formula One since the beginning of last season – and will be very difficult to beat again this term if recent results continue.
Hamilton – in particular – has become the dominating figure within the Silver Arrows organisation, especially after Rosberg’s almost childish outburst after the Shanghai race – and apparent climb down afterwards. The British driver is in the form of his career currently, and has finished in front of his co-driver in each of the first three races so far. It will be a very big ask for Rosberg himself to overhaul Hamilton this season – which makes Vettel’s task to achieve the same goal even more difficult.
In summary
Ferrari are comfortably the second best team in Formula One – with designs on becoming number one. Vettel is their main hope for glory this season, with Raikkonen performing in a secondary role. The upcoming race in Bahrain will provide more of clues on Vettel’s title chances, as the German driver cannot let Hamilton enhance his point’s gap much further, if at all.
The task that Vettel faces to overhaul Hamilton in the drivers’ standings will be very difficult, but the former four-time champion has trodden the path to title glory many times before – this year would surely be his biggest triumph to date.