GERMAN GRAND PRIX

On lap 52 of 67 of this year’s German Grand Prix, the world championship slipped through Sebastian Vettel’s fingers. The Ferrari driver had started his home race from pole position, while his title-rival Lewis Hamilton was 14th on the grid after a hydraulic gremlin in qualifying.

The race dramatically turned on its head and a Ferrari 1-2 became a Mercedes 1-2 after a downpour soaked the Hockenheim track and Vettel slithered out of contention, crashing into the Turn 13 barriers after an unforced error. Hamilton came through the field to take an unlikely victory.

The shunt was one of many to affect the Ferrari driver in 2018. In total, there were nearly a dozen mistakes made by the German. They included the lock-up in Baku that cost him victory, the first corner clash with Valtteri Bottas at Paul Ricard and spinning after wheel-to-wheel contact with Hamilton (in Monza) and Max Verstappen (in Suzuka). In contrast, Hamilton rarely put a foot wrong and soaked up the pressure magnificently.

As the thunderstorm continued to strike the Hockenheim track in July, two images stand out. The first is Hamilton celebrating with his hands to the sky, while the second is Vettel kicking the gravel trap in frustration.