Mercedes expose Ferrari's weaknesses as the fresh evidence demonstrates why the Scuderia are their own worst enemy
Callum Alexander | Callum on Cars | F1
If the Azerbaijan Grand Prix proved anything, it’s that Mercedes are collectively extracting the maximum potential in every aspect within the team, and Ferrari are not operating with the same cohesion.
The Silver Arrows are cooperating and performing at a very high level that leaves the daunting gauntlet and gargantuan task posed to Ferrari in F1 2019, staring them straight in the face.
Mercedes laid claim to another new record for their collection that has been accumulated since 2014. As race winner Valtteri Bottas and Five Time Champion teammate Lewis Hamilton crossed the line at the Baku City Circuit, the Brackley based outfit became the first team in F1 history to notch up four consecutive 1-2 race finishes.
It beats the previous record which Williams achieved in 1992, back then they had an average qualifying advantage of 1.2 seconds. The circumstances are different in F1 2019: the three-pointed star cars have had a 0.246 second delta difference to their closest flailing rivals, Ferrari. It is an impressive accolade, and this marginal yet decisive performance advantage has enabled Mercedes to capitalize on Ferrari’s shortfalls.
"Fortunately, we are delivering on a very high percentage," Hamilton told Sky Sports after Mercedes’ imperious Baku performance.
Hamilton elaborated: "Both Valtteri and I are delivering the laps, the team are pumping on all cylinders, they're not. If they start pumping on all cylinders and start delivering then we will have more of a fight."
"Ultimately, I think collectively as a team we are really operating in the high end of the 90s, percentile,” he told reporters.
The evidence of Ferrari slipping up and dropping the ball was on show yet again in Baku, with the story bearing a reminiscent theme. The first involved Charles Leclerc who had hit the ground running, setting the pace during Practice 2 and 3 on Friday and Saturday, and he carried that over into Qualifying.
The 21-year-old had shown his hand, full of pace and promise, but his potential was never fulfilled. During Q2, he crashed his SF90 clattering into the barriers at turn 8, the resultant damage wrecked the front right suspension, front wing and other aerodynamic components. It meant he could no longer take part in qualifying, ending his pursuit of a second pole position in four races.
It is clear that the Monegasque is a talented driver, with an abundance of skill and enough pace to stir things up at Ferrari, as well as Vettel’s once indubitable status. But, attached to this raw speed is the comparative inexperience contrast to his Four Time Champion teammate and therefore, a lack of balance in harmonising his skillset. This means the youngster is unintentionally prone to mistakes. After grid penalties, Leclerc would start the race eighth.
"When I'm looking at P1, P2, P3, even though they are not very representative, I am disappointed because I felt great in the car,” Leclerc said.
He admitted: “There was definitely the potential to do pole position and I threw all our chances away by touching the wall," rueing the missed opportunity.
Leclerc had started the weekend wanting to force Ferrari to rethink the ‘Vettel priority policy’ and he had made a credible case for doing so. He drove like a man on a mission, with a point to prove - until Q2.
Yet, his missionary efforts had caused him to create the exact scenario for Ferrari to reinforce the ‘Vettel priority policy’ between their drivers. Of course, Leclerc could rebuke that logic with an example of Vettel’s own misdemeanour: the Germans spin during the Bahrain GP.
The purpose of the policy means that Vettel will receive preferential treatment from Ferrari in racing circumstances, as the Italian team believe he is the more complete, and therefore more likely driver to challenge Mercedes for the Drivers’ Championship over the course of the season.
Ironically though, this can be contested. Had a meritocratic approach been adopted, like Mercedes, Leclerc would be the lead Ferrari driver in the standings after the first three races.
Ferrari did not help themselves in the tyre department either. Both Vettel and Leclerc had used up an extra set of soft tyres in Practice 3 on Saturday, which meant by Q2, they had restricted their tyre choice. With the harder compounds more challenging to generate and maintain tyre temperature on a cooling track, it made extracting pace from the SF90 harder for Vettel and Leclerc.
Whereas, Mercedes did the opposite and used a set of medium tyres in Practice 3, this allowed their drivers to use soft tyres continuously throughout the three qualifying segments.
The string of Ferrari misjudgements at Baku reached its peak with a dim-witted display of naivety during Q3. With Leclerc crashing out of contention, the knock on affect scuppered Ferrari’s strategy, as Vettel could not rely on his teammate for a slipstreamed drive around the Baku City Circuit. It left Vettel vulnerable, and Mercedes were all too aware to fool for any sneaky Ferrari tomfoolery.
In Q3, the two Mercedes pulled out of their garage appearing to venture onto their out laps. Ferrari, keen to soak up the two Silver Arrows slipstream, followed them out. But, just before the exit of the pitlane, Hamilton and Bottas pulled over to the side. It later transpired that they were imitating practice starts to allow Vettel to drive past, nullifying any advantage Ferrari were seeking.
It was a topic that Vettel initiated a minor discussion about during the press conference: “Just on about your fake starts in Q3. Did you do a start or did you just stop?”
Hamilton replied: “We just dummied you basically!”
Not satisfied with that, Vettel pressed for clarification: “Well, did you do a start or did you just stop?
Bottas joked: “Kind of. Clutch calibration…”
Hamilton concurred: “Definitely clutch calibration.”
It is a tantalising insight into the thinking inside Mercedes. Essentially, they caught onto what Ferrari were planning to do, so Mercedes tricked Ferrari into turning the tables back to their favour and taking away the crucial tow Ferrari with Vettel were plotting to feed off.
It is a shrewd and ruthless example of the strength and depth that Mercedes are able to muster - they were always one step ahead of Ferrari. Whatever they thought, the Silver Arrows had already envisaged it themselves - and proactively sought to distinguish the threat.
And for good reason. The slipstreamed advantaged on a qualifying lap is thought to be worth up to as much as half a second around the Baku City Circuit. Had Vettel driven into one, the qualifying order may well have been different.
“We need stronger pace, simple as that. We need to be faster. I’m convinced we’ve been, partly this weekend, looking very strong but overall not strong enough.”
Delving deeper on Ferrari’s sticking points, Vettel said: “The struggle we had here in those low speed corners is less of an aero problem, more of a mechanical grip issue.”
“Obviously the last four races, on average, we were not quite there, so I think we are not the favourites going to Barcelona.”
“But it will be crucial to catch them and turn things around.”
And Vettel knows it, because at the current rate, Mercedes are picking Ferrari apart at the details.
With Ferrari not able to replicate the managerial superiority of Mercedes, Hamilton and Bottas were poised to tussle for victory. Bottas had snatched pole from Hamilton by 0.059 seconds, with the Finn excelling in what is widely regarded as Hamilton’s chief discipline.
The British driver underdelivered by his standards in qualifying on Saturday because of cold tyres at the start of his pole lap. This was compounded by two mistakes at the first two corners that left him three tenths down on Bottas’ lap at the end of sector one. Hamilton made up a significant amount of that time in the subsequent two sectors, but it wasn’t enough to take pole.
The somewhat jaded Hamilton continued at the Baku GP race start. Hamilton made a much better launch that got himself aligned alongside Bottas, who allowed for space on the racing line through turn one. Hamilton appeared to be uncharacteristically tame in this decisive moment as the Silver Arrows almost resembled driving in formation rather than racing.
Both Mercedes continued to be side by side into turn two, again Bottas leaving space on the inside as he flanked Hamilton on the outside. Bottas slipped ahead along the next straight heading towards turn three, with Hamilton submissively ducking behind Bottas.
A 10-lap race to the flag for the win came to the fore on lap 41 after a virtual safety car had halted play, another moment where Hamilton lapsed from his usual alert self.
“I lost two-and-a-half seconds, or whatever it is, under the VSC, so had to regain that, with only nine laps to go, that was not so easy. So, that was my fault and something I’ll work on. There’re somethings I can fix on the dash to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
Hamilton pressured Bottas right to the flag across the finish line, as the flying Finn held on to claim a victory of redemption after his tyre burst whilst leading in last year’s Baku race. The gap between them was just 1.5 seconds.
It means that Bottas leads the Drivers’ standings by just one point ahead of Hamilton. Both Mercedes’ have scored two victories and two second places. The additional point for Bottas was claimed for fastest lap at the opening Australian GP – highlighting just what emphasis and influence that new point scoring opportunity could have on the final standings.
Bottas is happy with his personal performances in 2019 so far, but insists he isn’t getting carried away: “Confidence is good. I’m happy to just carry on. Obviously, yeah, it’s been a good start personally for me for the season, it’s a long season ahead. I do realise that.”
Hamilton understands he must be cautious when racing his teammate, but conceded he would adjust his dynamic in future: “I was a little bit too kind at the start. It won't happen again.”
With Bottas adopting a different approach in F1 2019, he has stepped into a revitalised version of himself. The knock-on effect has made him more of challenge to his Five Time Champion teammate – a Bottas 2.0.
Although Hamilton won’t be unduly concerned about the pendulum swing of results, he admitted that he couldn’t let things spiral beyond his control.
“That was an average (weekend). I just need to pick up on performance and do a better job. If I had qualified on pole the positions would have been reversed so it was really all about qualifying.”
“Valtteri’s really, clearly stepped up this year and is really happy in the car and really delivering and driving fantastically, so it’s going to take some really great performances from both of us to out-perform each other. And that’s how it should be.”
The 2019 F1 season is far from being done. There are 17 races to go, it is still not too late for Ferrari to revive their championship chances. But few can deny the reality of significance that the Spanish Grand Prix now represents to the Scuderia: they must stop Mercedes from marching on, before it’s too late.
History suggests that Ferrari are in the endgame now to save their season – otherwise, it will just fade away, into nothing.
Callum Alexander | Callum on Cars | F1
Photos: RaceFans.net and F1.com
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