In The Driver's Seat

All-out fight needed to assess impact of rival teams' upgrades

Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari being removed after he crashed in the rain during the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim last Sunday.
Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari being removed after he crashed in the rain during the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim last Sunday. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
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Sebastian Vettel's despair at the price he paid for the small error he made on the 52nd lap of what might have been the last Formula One German Grand Prix was just the tip of an unhappy iceberg floating towards the Ferrari camp last weekend.

And yet everything had looked so rosy when the local boy - he was born 52km away, in Heppenheim - took the 55th pole position of his career as title rival Lewis Hamilton lined up only 14th following his Mercedes' hydraulic issues which prevented him from progressing beyond the first qualifying session.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 28, 2018, with the headline All-out fight needed to assess impact of rival teams' upgrades. Subscribe