The Ferrari Formula One team will look to make gains on their rival Mercedes in 2018. Is 2018 the year for the duo of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen?
The 2017 Formula One season went the way of Mercedes, who took home both the drivers championship and the constructors championship. Will 2018 be the year Ferrari shows more success?
With the Formula One season just a few months away, there is speculation that the 2018 season will be one of the most competitive seasons to date. Of course, 2017 was Lewis Hamilton’s year in which he took home his fourth drivers championship. Mercedes took home the constructor’s championship as well for the fourth straight seasons. However, in February, Ferrari will launch their 2018 car, which could be the answer to more wins this year.
There was no doubt that the front-runners once again in Formula One were Mercedes and Ferrari in 2017. For starters, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel were involved in an intense battle for the drivers championship.
The third and fourth positions were held by Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen. I don’t see this changing in 2018. However, I do think 2018 will be the year Sebastian Vettel will capture his fifth title, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Hamilton takes it either.
Either way, if you’re a Ferrari Fan, you have to be excited about what lies ahead in 2018. Red Bull Racing will more than likely be better but still not up to par with Mercedes and Ferrari. The 2018 season will be an intense battle between Hamilton and Vettel with Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen waiting in the wings.
The year ahead
After hearing the news in the Ferrari garage, the duo of Vettel and Raikkonen have to be chomping at the bit to get the 2018 started. The 2018 Ferrari is rumored to be top-notch in Formula One. Soon, testing will begin, and I know I am excited to see what Ferrari have to offer.
Ferrari team president Sergio Marchionne told Formula1.com in December:
"“From back in August of last year, when we overhauled the organisation, I totally believed that these guys, with Maurizio Arrivabene as team principal and Mattia Binotto heading up the technical side, would be capable of doing something amazing.”"
More from Formula One
- Formula 1: Top Red Bull threat identified for 2024
- Formula 1: Why the Max Verstappen retirement obsession?
- Formula 1: Williams ‘mistake’ hints Logan Sargeant’s future
- Formula 1 awaiting key confirmation for 2024 season
- Formula 1: The ‘championship’ Max Verstappen only leads by 3 points
This news has to be scary if you’re a Mercedes fan. Sebastian Vettel was close to pushing Lewis Hamilton off of the top spot in 2017. If it weren’t for the bad luck stretch in the end of the season, Vettel may have been the champion.
We wont really know until the Australian Grand Prix whether the Ferrari team will be even with or ahead of Mercedes or not. However, I have to think Ferrari officials wouldn’t hold off on the debut of the new car until February unless they feel they truly have something special.
My early prediction would be to side with the Ferrari team. However, it is always tough when considering Lewis Hamilton is the previous season’s champion. Above all, it will truly come down to which team can avoid early retirements and limit mistakes in 2018. The battle between Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel for which driver takes home their fifth drivers championship will be fun to watch.
Next: Top 10 Formula One drivers of all-time
Who do you think will be the team to beat in the 2018 Formula One season? Will it be Sebastian Vettel or Lewis Hamilton at the top when the season concludes?