Sunday 26 March 2017.
World Copyright: Sam Bloxham/LAT Images
ref: Digital Image _W6I4899 via Pirelli Sport
Victory at the Australian Grand Prix for Ferrari set the cat amongst the pigeons for the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend and beyond.
After overtaking Lewis Hamilton’s previously dominant Mercedes he stretched the legs of his Prancing Horse to win by 10 seconds at a canter, with Kimi Raikkonen in fourth.
However, that certainly doesn’t mean they are now the new favourites for the World Championship. Far from it.
Now is not the time to be talking about a title challenge, and after talking themselves up only to flatter to deceive in previous years, Ferrari know it.
Their win in Melbourne merely announced to the world that the tumultuous year of 2016, where nobody looked happy, was well and truly behind them.
The next two races in China and Bahrain will go a long way into showing the watching world just where the field are in comparison to the scarlet Scuderia.
Should Vettel once again find himself stuck behind a Mercedes he will certainly have a better chance of passing it, with China home to Formula One’s longest straight.
Critics were already writing the obituaries of Formula One’s new technical era after a race at Albert Park that saw little overtaking on a circuit where it is difficult to do so.
Since the first race in 2004, Ferrari have four victories at the Shanghai International courtesy of Rubens Barrichello, Michael Schumacher, Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso. Vettel also has a solitary win in Shanghai.
With Vettel atop the podium in Australia and Raikkonen behind Mercedes debutant Valtteri Bottas in Australia, China will give us further answers to the questions asked after Melbourne.
Jack Prentice @JPrentice8