If there was one lesson to be taken from Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix it was that if Ferrari cut out the mistakes, they will complete the drivers’ and constructors’ championship double for the first time in 11 years.
Sebastian Vettel drove superbly at Spa-Francorchamps to win for a fifth time in 2018 and close the gap on world champion Lewis Hamilton to 17 points with eight races remaining.
It has been the narrative of the season that when Vettel and Ferrari have a clean weekend - by which they have had no problems, errors, or wet weather - they have usually won.
Hamilton tried to put a brave face on his defeat on Sunday, but he knows that unless his Mercedes-GP team find a big step forward, his hopes of a fifth world title this season are in real trouble.
Ferrari have a sizeable engine performance advantage over Mercedes. It was clear throughout the weekend in Belgium.
The first and third sectors of the lap at Spa were made up of long straights and Ferrari gained time on Mercedes there.
In the twisty middle section Hamilton would eke time back, but the fact Ferrari topped the times in every practice session prior to qualifying told the story.
Hamilton took advantage of wet conditions in the final part of qualifying to take pole, but while he disagreed with the notion that he could have taken top spot in the dry, that was unlikely given what had occurred before.
Hamilton was powerless to prevent Vettel charging past him on the opening lap and then could not stay with his fellow four-time world champion.
If there was one consolation for Hamilton it was he only lost seven points to Vettel. Given the performance edge of the Ferrari, the Italian team really should have had a one-two.
Kimi Raikkonen was superb in practice, setting the fastest lap on Friday as he shone at a track he has won four times.
The 2007 world champion was the first to set a benchmark time in wet qualifying, but that proved to be his only lap time as Ferrari had only fuelled him for one fast lap.
That was a big error as in wet sessions, the lap times will constantly improve with more time on track, and as Hamilton and Vettel found more speed, Raikkonen was shaking his head in bemusement back in the pits.
Instead of being on the front two rows, Raikkonen was back in sixth and he ended up being caught up in the first corner melee and suffered a puncture that wrecked his race and led to his retirement.
If he had qualified where his pace should have put him, he would have been nowhere near the drama.
If Raikkonen could have beaten Hamilton, a very likely scenario given his practice pace, Vettel would have taken 10 points, rather than seven, out of his rival’s lead.
This Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix should again benefit Ferrari. With straights and chicanes aplenty power in abundance is needed.
This used to give the advantage to Mercedes, who have won the race the past four years, but as long as it is dry this really should be dominated by Ferrari.
But to do that they must avoid silly mistakes. Driver errors, strategy blunders, bad luck and rain-disrupted races have all played their parts when Ferrari have been front.
Certainly Vettel should have more wins, but for the fastest package on the grid this season not to have had a one-two finish is astonishing.
Questions can be asked about how good Raikkonen is, and his qualifying form has left a lot to desire, but it was the team who let him down in Belgium with the fuelling blunder.
____________
Read more:
F1 rookie Charles Leclerc thankful for controversial 'halo' after Belgian GP accident
Red Bull: Ricciardo leaving for 'change of scenery' but Verstappen is not convinced
Lewis Hamilton v Sebastian Vettel: who will be crowned F1 champion?
Belgian Grand Prix: Hamilton and Vettel title fight resumes as F1 returns after summer break
____________
Ferrari do focus on Vettel, but Raikkonen is just as important as he can take points away from Hamilton.
Italy and Singapore, the next two races, should suit Ferrari and if they can get one-twos there at the very least, Vettel would be leading the championship by three points.
Ferrari have Hamilton and Mercedes on the backfoot and it is vital they now exploit what advantage they have by having both drivers beat him.
Formula One is a fast-moving sport and Mercedes are sure to be working frantically to improve their own pace, so it is on Vettel and Ferrari to strike while the going is good, for both cars.
That means no more own goals, like fuelling a car incorrectly.
Championships are won and lost on capitalising on your good days. Ferrari have not done that properly yet, but there is still time yet for them to end the Mercedes streak of title success.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
Six pitfalls to avoid when trading company stocks
Following fashion
Investing is cyclical, buying last year's winners often means holding this year's losers.
Losing your balance
You end up with too much exposure to an individual company or sector that has taken your fancy.
Being over active
If you chop and change your portfolio too often, dealing charges will eat up your gains.
Running your losers
Investors hate admitting mistakes and hold onto bad stocks hoping they will come good.
Selling in a panic
If you sell up when the market drops, you have locked yourself out of the recovery.
Timing the market
Even the best investor in the world cannot consistently call market movements.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
PFA Team of the Year: David de Gea, Kyle Walker, Jan Vertonghen, Nicolas Otamendi, Marcos Alonso, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah, Sergio Aguero
Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Spain drain
CONVICTED
Lionel Messi Found guilty in 2016 of of using companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying €4.1m in taxes on income earned from image rights. Sentenced to 21 months in jail and fined more than €2m. But prison sentence has since been replaced by another fine of €252,000.
Javier Mascherano Accepted one-year suspended sentence in January 2016 for tax fraud after found guilty of failing to pay €1.5m in taxes for 2011 and 2012. Unlike Messi he avoided trial by admitting to tax evasion.
Angel di Maria Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain star Angel di Maria was fined and given a 16-month prison sentence for tax fraud during his time at Real Madrid. But he is unlikely to go to prison as is normal in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying sentence of less than two years.
SUSPECTED
Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid's star striker, accused of evading €14.7m in taxes, appears in court on Monday. Portuguese star faces four charges of fraud through offshore companies.
Jose Mourinho Manchester United manager accused of evading €3.3m in tax in 2011 and 2012, during time in charge at Real Madrid. But Gestifute, which represents him, says he has already settled matter with Spanish tax authorities.
Samuel Eto'o In November 2016, Spanish prosecutors sought jail sentence of 10 years and fines totalling €18m for Cameroonian, accused of failing to pay €3.9m in taxes during time at Barcelona from 2004 to 2009.
Radamel Falcao Colombian striker Falcao suspected of failing to correctly declare €7.4m of income earned from image rights between 2012 and 2013 while at Atletico Madrid. He has since paid €8.2m to Spanish tax authorities, a sum that includes interest on the original amount.
Jorge Mendes Portuguese super-agent put under official investigation last month by Spanish court investigating alleged tax evasion by Falcao, a client of his. He defended himself, telling closed-door hearing he "never" advised players in tax matters.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
