Ferrari favouring Vettel over Raikkonen - Symonds

Ferrari are already targeting a drivers' championship for Sebastian Vettel and are willing to sacrifice constructors' honours - and Kimi Raikkonen - to win it, according to former Formula 1 engineer Pat Symonds. Vettel has scored two victories already in 2018, with Raikkonen scrambling a pair of third-place finishes.

The Finn secured a podium last time out in China largely thanks to Max Verstappen crashing into Vettel and taking both of them out of the race for a top-three finish.

Earlier in the Shanghai race, Raikkonen was left out on a huge opening stint, seemingly with the intention of backing Valtteri Bottas into Vettel's clutches after Mercedes had craftily undercut Ferrari to put Bottas ahead.

Symonds, who worked as Michael Schumacher's race engineer at Benetton, before taking roles at Renault and Williams, was displeased to see Raikkonen used as little more than a rolling roadblock.

"I think they need to decide how they're going to go racing," Symonds said.

"I think that the way they used Raikkonen in China was unfortunate – leaving him out for so long and trying to slow down other cars.

"And to be honest, it didn't really work. By the time his rivals reached him, his tyres were shot and they could easily overtake, so it wasn't a great strategic decision.

"I don't think that's the way to get a constructors' championship.

"They obviously feel that the drivers' championship is more important, and they've made their decision as to where that will go."

Despite Vettel's victories, Ferrari are indeed second to a winless Mercedes in the constructors' standings, albeit by a solitary point.

The Silver Arrows have seen chances to win all three races this season slip through their fingers, something Symonds believes is not purely down to chance.

"Strategically, they've also had troubles," he said. "When you have a fast car and you're controlling the race, the strategy comes to you.

"But recently with Mercedes we've seen some... I won't call them wrong, but I would say some imperfect strategy calls.

"I think that's because there may have been imperfect calls before, but with such a performance advantage you don't really see them."