Mercedes and Ferrari will have a fierce battle in the next Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for second place finish this season. It has been a season that belongs to Red Bull. But the other two powerhouses are not giving up so soon. Albeit, it seems like the other two powerhouses have a lot to do to catch up with the Austrian team. Clearly, they have the fastest car and the best driver of the current lot. Toto Wolff would be very happy to see Hamilton or George Russell win the final race of the season. At least, that would make Mercedes end the winless drought and even beat Ferrari to a P2 finish in 2023.
That’s what the fans are also excited about at present. Who’ll secure the P2 spot – Ferrari or Mercedes? Moreover, unlike Mercedes, Ferrari is not winless this season. Carlos Sainz Jr of Ferrari ended the winning streak of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in Singapore. But then again, Red Bull and Verstappen took control of the domination. Like Ferrari, can Mercedes beat Red Bull this season at least once? Prior to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this year, Mercedes had a slim advantage over Ferrari as they had a four points lead. Anyhow, Fred Vasseur believes the momentum is with his team.
Ferrari Boss Warns Mercedes That The 4-Point Lead Can Prove To Be Nothing
Mercedes is currently on 392 points, only four points ahead of Ferrari. But the Ferrari boss believes they are on a good path if he considers that they were 60 points behind the Silver Arrows at one point this season. Anyhow, the Ferrari boss told the media, including RacingNews365, that the four points could prove to be nothing or a lot in Abu Dhabi. But if they have the momentum, then they don’t have to worry a lot. Moreover, managing the tires will be vital. Fred Vasseur says that they should not draw conclusions as quickly as they did last time in Brazil.
Apparently, Mercedes was in trouble with tire management. But Vasseur said the Brackley team did decently well this weekend. Moreover, the Ferrari boss mentioned that tracks vary as well as compounds do. For instance, it was very cold back in Las Vegas. The conditions were colder than other tracks this season. Anyhow, Vasseur has faith in his team management, especially in the last couple of races. However, things are always on the edge, feels the Ferrari boss.
Younger F1 Drivers Have Proved To Be A Threat For The Old Horses
Former champions like Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso are getting too old to catch up to the pace of Max Verstappen. Besides the Red Bull driver, there have been more young drivers on the grid who performed better than the old horses in the last few races. For instance, Lando Norris of McLaren and Carlos Sainz Jr of Ferrari performed exceedingly well this season. They have been faster than Alonso as well as Hamilton in the previous few races.
However, Lewis Hamilton will still hope to win one race at least this season to confirm his P2 finish in 2023. He is still far behind Sergio Perez in Driver’s standings. Hence, Toto Wolff will hope his team ends this season on a positive note. Can Mercedes and Hamilton end their winless drought in Abu Dhabi this year?
