Not since 2004 have the Ferrari started the season of Formula 1 with another victory.
And almost 40 years since a driver won the first race of the season Formula 1 and win the world title.
Anyone who thought that F1 2018 will be “Mercedes” Lewis Hamilton of the encoder better quickly come to their senses.
F1 2018 has a story to tell and it’s one that no one predicted, when the lights went out just two weeks ago in Australia.
Mercedes needs a silver lining in China
In the 21st race of the season, the first two races a bit more than before tasters. But after two consecutive defeats in races they could and maybe should have won, Hamilton and Mercedes didn’t think so.
“My thoughts are already on the world championship,” Hamilton, who won a victory snatched out of his hands on Vettel in the season-opening Australian GP, told Sky F1. “I lost two races.”
It would be an exaggeration to portray in next weekend’s Chinese GP as it is necessary-to win the event for Mercedes. But the defeat in Shanghai will be very difficult for the world Champions after a surprisingly busy week in Bahrain.
At least when they left Australia there was a lot of reassurance. Hamilton claimed pole position by almost a second and only luck in the form of a virtual safety car allowed Vettel victory. But in Bahrain was not so sure.
Ferrari were faster, and their victory was deserved.
So that the picture – the advantage of Mercedes in the season-in Australia or Ferrari in Bahrain is more accurate?
Perhaps no. The final conclusion about the hierarchy may not be possible. The suspicion is that the user form will fluctuate on a race by race basis, sometimes wildly so.
“I think [in the hierarchy] will change from track to track,” Mercedes boss Toto Wolff told Sky F1.
But nonetheless there was some clear knowledge in Bahrain, especially that the car “Mercedes” has a significant drawback. 2018 silver arrows, not a diva, but it’s hard.
“Mercedes is still struggling when he rear-society circuit and temperature rise,” said Brundle, the sky F1 Martin. Wolff himself admitted as much in on Saturday night after qualifying, telling reporters: “You see that a track like Bahrain with an abrasive surface and a large amount of heat, we fight.”
However, on race day, these deficiencies were not obvious. “We put more pressure on them in the race than we expected,” said Valtteri Bottas.
But that was largely because Mercedes did such a good job masking the shortcomings of his car. At the race was solely to work on Supersoft tyres, Ferrari may well win comfortably. The twist in tale was switch Mercedes on more durable Medium tyres and universal strategy, which meant, surprisingly, Hamilton is not to use the Supersoft compound – the fastest available on the weekend – at any time during the Grand Prix.
“On the soft [tyre] the car is much better, but the softer compound, the Supersoft seems we are overheating and therefore not extracting optimum grip,” explained Wolff.
But how often in the remaining 19 races Mercedes will be able to achieve victory without using the fastest available in the tires?
Can Red bull still to join the party in 2018?
While the start of the 2018 F1 exceeded all expectations, disappointment was the failure of Red bull to join the party at the front.
In RB14 looks fast, very fast, but in Australia and Bahrain that the potential materializes real challenge for victory. In Melbourne, Daniel ricciardo is lowered into the net after a failed attempt quite slow on the red flag and Max Verstappen, the period after line Haas Kevin Magnussen. This weekend, Verstappen crashed into qualifying and the race happened for four laps when both cars retired.
“Brutally harsh”, concluded team boss Christian Horner. “We had a race today, the car that was able to challenge Ferrari and Mercedes.”
But F1 is business-focused and “Red bull” were implemented in the first weeks and Verstappen already 42 points behind Vettel. Their story must change in Shanghai.
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Sourse: skysports.com
