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Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel have provided a riveting rivalry for the 2018 championship title. The first half of the season saw both the drivers going neck and neck with each pulling the odds back in their favour whenever the other seemed to be gaining a healthy advantage. For now, Lewis has a strong 50 points lead over Sebastian, but Mercedes would still not be taking Vettel lightly.
The four-time world champions have proved that they are the best in the business and their respective teams have provided them with the cars worthy of the title fight. The two have performed so superbly that their teammates are yet to win even a single race. Quite like their drivers, Mercedes and Ferrari have also been locked in an intense battle of developing their cars as quickly as possible to overshadow the other’s improvement.
Winning each race from here on out is absolutely necessary for the German, and a little bit of luck on his side wouldn’t hurt either. Reliability on both cars has been above par, but as we turn towards the end of the season, engine parts related grid penalties could come into play.
The hefty fifty point lead that Lewis holds over his rival was formed bit by bit over the course of the year. Here is a statistical comparison between how the season and championship contention has turned out for both the racers:
#4 Number of fastest laps (2-1)
Fastest laps do not affect a championship directly as they mostly have nothing to do with the points awarded at the end of the race. The fastest laps can be indicative of the best machinery that the driver has at his disposal, even though a near perfect run around the circuit on low fuel and fresher tyres can easily displace the ones on the top of the leader board.
Engines being turned down at the latter stages of the race when there is not much of a threat of overtaking, as well as a particularly traffic-free stretch of track can also be factors in fastest laps being timed by drivers lower down the order.
Nonetheless, Lewis Hamilton has set a couple fastest laps while Sebastian Vettel has scored one.
#3 Number of poles (7-5)
The new era Formula One cars have shown difficulty unleashing their complete race pace when stuck behind traffic, and, even with the DRS enabled, it is not an easy task to overtake. The width of the cars has added to that challenge. Not to mention, the track position gives you a slight edge over your competitors. However, pit stop strategies are extremely important to capitalise on the start and seal off the result.
Lewis Hamilton has the scaled tipped in his favour against Sebastian Vettel when it comes to pole positions. While the Briton has seven to his name, Vettel had secured the first place on the starting grid five times.
The German was seemingly stronger during qualifying at the start of the season. With the exception of Australia, he scored a pole position in three of the first four races and his next two poles came during Canada and Germany. Surprisingly, he has converted only two of those to race victories, in Bahrain and Germany.
Lewis, meanwhile, has had a scattering of poles throughout the season and has managed to go on to win the Grand Prix four out of those seven times.
#2 Number of podiums (13-10)
Consistent podium finishes help the case of all title aspirants. Even if a win is not within grasp during a particular weekend, scoring a podium can boost their tally of points. Sebastian and Lewis, both, know the value of getting the best result they can for a specific Grand Prix. With four world championships under their belt each, they would have experience for the same.
It explains why Lewis holds thirteen podiums to his name this season while Vettel has stood on one ten times. With sixteen races done and dusted, those are impressive numbers and come to the decider, the points from the top three positions will surely rack up to tip the scales in the favour of one of them.
Coincidentally, the duo has been among the top three without winning the Grand Prix, five times each throughout the year.
#1 Number of wins (8-5)
Lewis Hamilton has eight victories to his name, whereas, Sebastian Vettel claimed the winners’ trophy during five Grands Prix. The three race win difference points towards the advantage that the British driver currently holds over Vettel.
Mercedes have recently been clinical with their race strategies, even using team orders to maximise the number of points that Lewis scores. Ferrari, while mostly being on par with their counterparts, have slipped a rung below when it comes to important decisions in the middle of the race.
Some races have slipped through the red team’s hands due to the pressure mounting up, while during some others, catching up and passing the Mercedes looked like a tall ask. The Silver Arrows themselves had a few moments earlier in the season when they chose not to pit their drivers during safety car or virtual safety car in order to hold track position. The strategy did not work as well as the United Kingdom based team would have hoped.
Sebastian would be looking to emulate his form from the start of the season and it can be expected of him to not give up till even a small mathematical probability remains of getting his hands on his first world championship trophy as a Ferrari driver.
