2018 Report – Ferrari: Galloping Towards the Title

Ranking in the championship: 2nd

Best qualifying position: 1st (Sebastian Vettel – Bahrain, China, Azerbaijan, Canada, Germany / Kimi Räikkönen – Italy)

Best race position: 1st (Sebastian Vettel- Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Great Britain, Belgium/ Kimi Räikkönen- United States)

In 2017, Ferrari missed out on the title due to a disastrous Asian tour that saw both crowns slip through their fingers. This year was meant to be one of revenge. While the 2018 Mercedes was an improved version of the 2017 W08, this was not the case for the reds. Indeed, the SF71H proved to be fast on all the circuits in the first part of the season, unlike the SF70-H, which was primarily fast on slow circuits. Another significant improvement for the Italian team is their engine, which managed to become the benchmark in terms of performance and reliability, surpassing its German rival for the first time since 2014.

She therefore seemed to have learned from her mistakes, but the pressure from Mercedes and, paradoxically, that from Ferrari on Vettel got the better of the most legendary team in Formula 1. One can only be disappointed, given the car Mattia Binotto had produced, not to see the colors of the prancing horse at the top of the standings.

Ferrari has not won the title since 2008, and after three failures in the V6 era, it hopes that the new driver pair Vettel-Leclerc can remedy this for 2019. The combination of the experience of the four-time German world champion and the talent of the Monegasque rookie could be a good bet.

Sebastian Vettel

Ranking in the championship: 2nd, 320 points

Best qualifying position: 1st (Bahrain, China, Azerbaijan, Canada, Germany)

Best race finish: 1st (Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Great Britain, Belgium)

The German driver had an excellent start to the season by winning 4 of the first 11 races and earning 7 podiums. Unfortunately for his championship, Vettel made multiple rookie mistakes under the pressure of Mercedes, while his rival, Lewis Hamilton, remained unaffected by the stress. Although it’s true that Vettel hasn’t always been consistent, it’s impossible to take away his strong performances, particularly in Bahrain where he led his car ahead of everyone else on shredded tires.

Next year will be important for Sebastian, who must prove he can bring a title with the Scuderia, but he will have to watch out for Charles Leclerc, who is considered Ferrari’s new hope.

Kimi Räikkönen

Championship standings: 3rd, 251 points

Best qualifying position: 1st (Monza)

Best race finish: 1st (United States)

The Finnish veteran can leave Ferrari with his head held high thanks to what is probably one of his best seasons in Formula 1, including 12 podiums, 1 win, and a pole position. At the age of 39, he still manages to excel in the elite. However, the Finn had a relatively quiet start to the season, unlike his teammate, as seen in Canada where Vettel finished first while he came in only 6th.

The holder of 21 Grand Prix victories can leave with peace of mind to Sauber, where he will assist in the development of the C38 and the training of the young Italian driver, Antonio Giovinazzi.