Lewis Hamilton didn't expect Sebastian Vettel to tail off
Lewis Hamilton has admitted he never expected Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari to "tail off" in the 2018 Formula 1 world championship battle in the way they have
Hamilton claimed his fourth victory in a row at the Japanese Grand Prix to put him on the brink of the 2018 crown after Vettel spun early on trying to pass Max Verstappen and finished sixth.
Vettel led the title race by eight points back in July but Hamilton has won six of the seven races since then and turned that deficit into a 67-point lead.
Asked by Autosport if he was surprised how Vettel has faded from the picture, Hamilton said: "Up until the mid-part of the season they were very strong.
"Then they got to Monza and after that they were still quite strong at Monza and Singapore, then Singapore was really when things started to tail off.
"I definitely hadn't anticipated that they would tail off as they have. The performances have not been coming as strong as they were before.
"I don't really have an answer for that, it's not something I've really focused on - I'm sure Sebastian could tell why.
"We've just been focusing on trying to do the best job we can and maximise the potential of our own ability."
Ferrari appeared to have the edge on Mercedes for pace until Singapore, where Mercedes has traditionally been weak but Hamilton won from pole.
The Italian team has lost several points this season, with high-profile incidents including Vettel crashing from the lead at Hockenheim and spinning after hitting Hamilton at Monza.
Hamilton made Vettel pay for that Italian GP mistake by going on to win, beginning his current four-race victory streak - which he said Mercedes should be proud of given the way it has overturned Ferrari's advantage.
"You have to set your sights high," said Hamilton.
"As we came into the season we set the goal high. We got to mid-season, we had that win going into the break.
"We've been pushing to make sure we come back even stronger.
"That's what you're hoping to achieve - it's not always the case that you do.
"We have, through great hard work from everyone."
Previous article
Fernando Alonso: My Japanese Grand Prix penalty shows how bad F1 is
Next article
Haas: Kevin Magnussen did nothing wrong in Charles Leclerc fight
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Drivers | Lewis Hamilton , Sebastian Vettel |
| Author | Scott Mitchell |
Albert Park Circuit Modifications Project
Mercedes-AMG F1 Team: Bahrain GP Race Debrief
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says NIGEL ROEBUCK
Verstappen exclusive: Why lack of car-racing titles won't hurt Red Bull's ace
Max Verstappen’s star quality in Formula 1 is clear. Now equipped with a Red Bull car that is, right now, the world title favourite and the experience to support his talent, could 2021 be the Dutchman’s year to topple the dominant force of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Are we at peak F1 right now?
For many, many years Formula 1 has strived to do and to be better on all fronts. With close competition, a growing fanbase, a stable political landscape and rules in place to encourage sustainability, 2021 is on course to provide an unexpected peak
How crucial marginal calls will decide the Red Bull vs Mercedes battle in F1 2021
The longer Red Bull can maintain a performance edge over Mercedes, the better the odds will be in the team’s favour against the defending world champions. But as the Bahrain Grand Prix showed, many more factors will be critical in the outcome of the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship
How Williams’ new structure adheres to a growing F1 trend
Williams held out against the tide for many years but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, the age of the owner-manager is long gone
When a journeyman driver's F1 career lasted just 800m
Nikita Mazepin’s Formula 1 debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix lasted mere corners before he wiped himself out in a shunt, but his financial backing affords him a full season. Back in 1993 though, Marco Apicella was an F1 driver for just 800m before a first corner fracas ended his career. Here’s the story of his very short time at motorsport’s pinnacle
The nightmare timing that now hinders Mercedes
Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton took victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix despite, for a change, not having the quickest car. But any hopes of developing its W12 to surpass Red Bull's RB16B in terms of outright speed could not have come at a worse time.
How Raikkonen's rapid rise stalled his team-mate's F1 career climb
Kimi Raikkonen’s emergence as a Formula 1 star in his rookie campaign remains one of the legendary storylines from 2001, but his exploits had an unwanted impact on his Sauber team-mate’s own prospects. Twenty years on from his first F1 podium at the Brazilian GP, here’s how Nick Heidfeld’s career was chilled by the Iceman
