CAN FERRARI MAKE AMENDS AT MONZA?

Ferrari fans must have groaned when rain arrived in Belgian Grand Prix qualifying at Spa last weekend. Once again the Italian team seemed to have the edge over Mercedes in the dry and, for the third event in a row, wet weather gave Lewis Hamilton an opportunity. Unsurprisingly, Hamilton delivered, but this time it didn’t result in a win against the odds. In the dry race, Sebastian Vettel grabbed the lead early on and Hamilton was powerless to do anything about it. Ferrari never looked like losing. Last year, Vettel seemed a little faster in the Belgian GP, but Hamilton was able to drive a clever race from pole and take a narrow victory. This time, Ferrari’s pace advantage was such that track position was not enough for Mercedes to hold on. Perhaps more worrying for the Silver Arrows is that Ferrari has an edge on power and looks strong on every type of track. High-speed Monza was a disaster for Ferrari last year, but there’s every reason to think Vettel will have a speed advantage over Mercedes in this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix. The 24-point gap Hamilton took into the break now looks very vulnerable.

The new-for-2018 halo was one of the most controversial Formula 1 rule changes in recent years and it has certainly altered the look of the cars. But Charles Leclerc was grateful that his Sauber had one after the first-corner crash at Spa. It’s hard to know at this stage exactly what would have happened without the halo, but it seems fair to say that, at very least, it saved Leclerc from injury. And for that we should all be thankful.