The winds of change are indeed blowing in F1, with Ferrari now appearing legitimately as fast or faster than Mercedes at the majority of circuits. Ferrari seem to have leapt ahead of Mercedes for the first time in over 4 years in terms of their engine development – essentially taking away the massive advantage Mercedes had over their rivals for years.
This could not be better news for Ferrari fans heading into this weekend, with F1 visiting Monza for the Italian GP – undisputedly the most power-demanding circuit on the calendar, with its extreme top speeds and lower reliance on downforce.
Last year, Hamilton and Bottas dominated the race, both finishing over half a minute ahead of third-placed Vettel and eating into the Ferrari driver’s then-lead in the world championship. The two Mercedes would rub salt in the wounds of the thousands of local Ferrari supporters as they would complete their victory lap in formation, topped off by Hamilton proclaiming “Mercedes power is better than Ferrari power” on the podium.
Ferrari have gotten their revenge at Spa, with Vettel breezing past Hamilton on lap 1 to cruise to an easy win, decreasing Hamilton’s lead in the championship to 17 points. With their home circuit demanding very similar car characteristics to Spa, Ferrari will be very confident heading into this weekend, and Mercedes might have to settle for something other than victory at the “Temple of Speed” for the first time since 2013.
Mercedes have had the weather play into their hands at the last 3 Grands Prix, though rain in Monza at this time of the year is highly unusual – only a handful of sessions in the past 20 years have been affected by rain. Last year’s qualifying session was hit by rain, but other than that the last time a F1 car turned a wheel in wet weather at Monza was as long ago as 2008!
Our pick for this weekend:
We don’t want to curse it for Ferrari, but a win (and perhaps a rare 1-2) seems very likely for the boys in red this weekend. It’s undeniable that Vettel is receiving number one treatment within the team, so we can safely assume that if a Ferrari wins this weekend, it’ll most likely be that of Vettel’s. Betway’s odds on a Vettel victory currently stand at 1.90 for a win, whereas Hamilton is second-favourite to win with odds currently at a lucrative 2.85 for him to win… Click here to register and make your pick!