Ferrari's 'spell has been broken'

Formula One boss Ross Brawn reckons that the 'spell has been broken' on Ferrari's earlier performances in the 2018 season which saw them lead the driver's championship through Sebastian Vettel, as now the German trails Lewis Hamilton and the team trail Mercedes by a significant points deficit.

Early season form from Ferrari looked promising, only for Hamilton to continue to pick up wins and points to top the driver rankings. For the Prancing Horse, they picked up the pace with a win in Spa followed by a first-row lock-out at the Italian Grand Prix, only for the Mercedes driver to overcome both Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen to take the flag.

Brawn thinks the team will be hugely worried about the dip in form, and questions whether the 'spell' of their early form has been broken.

“Mercedes leave Singapore in high spirits, Ferrari must be somewhat concerned by their form at Marina Bay, and in recent weeks,” said the F1 chief in his post-race briefing.

“After the summer break, the Italian team was dominant, winning in Spa and getting both cars on the front row in Monza. However, since then, the spell has been broken. At its home race, the defeat could be put down to various incidents, but in Singapore, both Mercedes and Red Bull were better.

“Not by much, as on the streets of Marina Bay the gaps separating the top three were hardly a chasm, but by enough, as third in qualifying and in the race for Vettel seemed about the right result.

“The men in red admitted they made the most of what was available to them and they need to work out why as soon as possible. The gap in both championships is not yet insurmountable, but it is significant, especially against a strong rival in the habit of winning

“Ferrari can count on a car that has always been competitive and on drivers who know how to fight for a title, but now they need to turn things around, starting in Sochi.”

Brawn then reserved praise for Hamilton, who he described as 'untouchable' during his winning efforts in Singapore at the weekend.

“An incredible Q3 lap resulted in a pole position that was to prove crucial, when he dominated the race from start to finish,” Brawn continued.

“The result and the gaps at the front don’t really tell the story of just how untouchable Lewis was and he produced a masterclass in extracting the most out the package at his disposal, pushing when he had to and managing the tyres where possible

“The win is an important step, if not yet the decisive one, in his duel with Sebastian.

“It’s also proof that Mercedes, the dominant force of this hybrid era, is still working to improve in areas where it has maybe lost some ground in recent times.”

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