The fluctuating fortunes of Formula One front runners Lewis Hamilton and relentless rival Sebastian Vettel have all the makings, and drama, of a titanic tussle right down to the championship finale in Abu Dhabi next month.
Neither driver was satisfied with the transport given him for their last outing in Malaysia when, first of all, Vettel’s Ferrari slumped out of the running with an engine conundrum that forced him into a terrific fightback from last on the grid to fourth place at the finish, and Hamilton’s mysterious loss of pace as he vainly strove to play catch-up with surprise winner Max Verstappen in the Red Bull and having to look out for Daniel Ricciardo playing catch-up.
The shock slowdown showings of title pacemaker Hamilton’s Mercedes in the race and second-placed Vettel’s Ferrari in a terrible qualifying fired up frantic action behind the scenes among the back-room boys, the engineers and planners, who fled back to their various HQs with masses of data being pored over and solutions sought in the minimal layoff between Malaysia and Japan this weekend. Not only did Ferrari have the Vettel issue, to add to their misery. Kimi Raikkonen failed to even make the start in Sepang.
If the drastic failures keep sabotaging the pride of Ferrari, I am certain their team leader, Maurizio Arrivabene, will suffer the consequences at the hands of the company’s ruthless hierarchical head Sergio Marchionne. He has already made the ongoing depth of his despair a public issue and, if it continues, he will seek out the culprits. Arrivabene and his team must carry the blame. They are letting down the drivers and the millions of faithful followers worldwide.
The ominous silence from Ferrari HQ as they delve into their problems and how they will resolve them in an effort not to let go of their title opportunities are a stark contrast to Mercedes’ openness as they hasten to assure their followers of their concerns and the remedies they plan.
Equally baffled by his car’s reversal of progress is team mastermind Toto Wolff, not in anywhere near under the same brand of threat hanging over his Ferrari counterpart’s head. The Austrian confesses he and his line-up have been left bewildered by the setbacks and admitted: “Full credit to Red Bull and Ferrari and Seb Vettel for their performances.
“But we have under-performed in Singapore and now, again, in Malaysia. OK, we have built up a points advantage on Ferrari because of them shunting out in Singapore and down to Seb’s engine problems in Malaysia. What we need to do, and quickly, is get to understand why we underperform on certain circuits and in certain ambient conditions.”
His main man Hamilton, hiding his depth of his utter disappointment at his car’s latest showings, revealed: “I have told the team what I must have for Japan because I am in a serious battle for the world championship.
“Overall, I am happy that after our setbacks the team is now pumped up to pull together and right the wrongs.”
The three-time champion, looking for a fourth without waiting any longer than this season, and with a 34-point advantage over Vettel, was no doubt boosted by a verbose Wolff’s bid to keep the Mercedes boys on their toes with his inspirational fighting talk when he insisted: “It is in the tough times when you really see the strengths of a team.
“Our championships in the past three years have happened because we have never taken success for granted. And even in the good times we were able to put our fingers on the wound and identify and work on our weaknesses.
“Now we find ourselves doing the same, analysing our the problems, beginning to understand their causes and working on the solutions. We are doing our utmost, and will continue to do, to provide Lewis with a car to equal his ability. He has been in fantastic form and has made the most of every opportunity.
“He is driving with the perfect balance of aggression and ability right now. And that, I am certain, will continue. Suzuka, for the Japanese Grand Prix, is a circuit where we have performed strongly over recent years. But in the last few weeks we have been reminded very strongly that historic form counts for little. It is right now that is the crucial time. Not the past.
“We take nothing for granted despite Lewis’s healthy lead in the Drivers’ championship and ours in the Constructors and we anticipate a close fight between ourselves, Ferrari and Red Bull. What happens to Mercedes, and the eventual outcome of the championship, is all down to our own ability and in our own hands.”
Both Mercedes and Hamilton and Ferrari and Vettel have been working until the early hours in their strenuous efforts to ensure that both drivers are in cars to sustain their challenge right to the very end of each of the remaining six GPs.
They face a mammoth 53-lap confrontation of Suzuka’s 3.6-mile circuit for round 16.
TVwettel had had four victories and four poles in Japan, while Hamilton has three triumphs and pole in 2007 and 2008.
It is a numbers game that adds up to a promise of even greater excitement to come in this crucial contest as the championship chase, and its crowning glory, starts its run down.
The author is an expert on motorsport
