FERRARI ARE BACK
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 pair for the 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.