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In The Driver's Seat
Mercedes' greatness is more than the sum of their parts
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In a photo taken on Oct 13, Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas makes a pit stop during the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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When Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc pulled incredibly quick laps out of the bag during Sunday's (Oct 13) Typhoon Hagibis-delayed qualifying session at the Suzuka Circuit, Mercedes were stunned. Their chances of maintaining their extraordinary record of five consecutive turbo-hybrid victories in the Japanese Grand Prix seemed slim at best. At last, it appeared, the Silver Arrows had met their match.
Later, in the warm sunshine that was such a stark contrast to the torrential rain and 230kmh tornado winds that had swept up the eastern coast the previous day and wreaked havoc on Tokyo, Ferrari's day fell apart.
