With the drivers’ championship wrapped up by Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes, the Brazilian Grand Prix presents the chance for a final, definitive blow to Ferrari. If they take the constructors’ title at Interlagos it would be a fifth consecutive drivers’ and constructors’ double for Mercedes, equalling the record held by the Scuderia. It would be a remarkable achievement and noticeably one from which Ferrari intend to learn. This weekend represents a chance to begin building toward next season and their attitude seems to reflect an acknowledgment they must step up to match Mercedes and Hamilton. With a 55-point lead Mercedes will take the constructors’ championship and match the run Ferrari achieved with Michael Schumacher between 2000 and 2004 if Ferrari fail to outscore them by 13 points at Interlagos. It would be the successful culmination to a season that had looked to be Ferrari’s. The Scuderia started so strongly, with a car that matched their rivals and was, for a period, the best of the field. Certainly some exceptional performances by Hamilton would have been hard to beat under any circumstances but a combination of errors from Sebastian Vettel, team mistakes and a development dead end squandered their shot. It provoked some exceptionally honest remarks from the team principal, Maurizio Arrivabene, who this week admitted they “lacked the habit of winning”. Without a championship for 11 years Arrivabene conceded their failings. “We must be more aware of our means, and not be afraid of winning,” he said. “In tennis they… [Read full story]
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