Mercedes vs. Ferrari. More to the point, Lewis Hamilton vs. Sebastian Vettel. Count on it.
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| Photo: Octane Photography |
So many are saying anyway. That - for all of F1's woes and the arguably tepid conclusion to the 2015 campaign - something rather exciting awaits in 2016 as our salvation. That Ferrari will make another step-up between seasons just like it did 12 months ago and that will result in this titanic scrap for honours at the front. One pundit said it "could be a rivalry to mark the end of days".
Heady. Sounds rational enough too. But is it actually
that likely Ferrari will move onto the level of the pace-setting silver lot? Maybe, on closer analysis, it isn't.
In my latest article for
Grand Prix Times I put my doubting hat on and explore just why Ferrari getting on terms with the Merc may not be all that imminent. You can have a read here:
http://www.grandprixtimes.com/news/display/11065
Ferrari were impressive in the first four races of 2015. They were lacking a bit of pure pace compared to Mercedes, but their better tire degradation made up for it. Then it was discovered that they had found a way to bypass the fuel-flow limit and without the extra fuel flow they were nowhere near as fast. I guess that's the story of the 2015 season. Mercedes then found another two or three tenths with an engine upgrade. Mercedes were dominating and Ferrari seemed to even have lost their ability to make the tires last longer. It's interesting that in the hybrid era Mercedes seem capable to out-develop their rivals in contrast to the years before.
ReplyDeletePerhaps only Red Bull may become a threat somewhere in the future, if they manage to sort out their engine troubles.