After months of struggle and adversity, Scuderia Ferrari again took the top spot on the podium thanks to a brilliant drive by Sebastian Vettel. Both Vettel and his teammate, Kimi Raikkonen, demonstrated that Ferrari is still a force to be reckoned with and quite capable of winning. The first and third place finish also revealed a peek into next season and what may soon come from the Prancing Horse.
Sebastian Vettel makes a big leap at the start to take the lead
At the start of the race, Sebastian Vettel launched his Scuderia Ferrari to overtake pole sitter Valtteri Bottas of Petronas Mercedes.
Vettel was determined to put his car out front and wasted no time in doing so. The track is famous for elevation changes, sharp corners, and is always popular with the fans. On several occasions, Bottas had the opportunity to catch Vettel, but he never seemed to be able to. Vettel was able to cover any margin Bottas seemed to create and managed his Pirelli tires well. Current World Champion, Lewis Hamilton, had a tremendous drive that saw him start from the pit lane and weave his way through the crowd to finish in fourth place. Sebastian Vettel wasn’t the only Ferrari to have a good day at Interlagos. Kimi Raikkonen finished in third place, just slightly behind Valtteri Bottas. Raikkonen has a stellar drive and was solidly fast all weekend.
Both Ferraris showed no sign of the mechanical problems that have plagued them in the past few races. Raikkonen was particularly strong in the middle sector, which allowed him to keep a good distance between himself and the hard-charging Lewis Hamilton.
Fans are already looking to next season
With one race remaining in the 2017 season and the championship decided, fans are already looking ahead to 2018.
There is little doubt that Petronas Mercedes, with both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, will be fast. The question becomes if Scuderia Ferrari will be fast as well? Mauricio Arrivabene, Ferrari’s Team Principal, has expressed optimism for the upcoming season and has faith in his team. Sebastian Vettel has also been willing to vocalize his hope for an even more competitive season next year and a chance at winning the championship.
Will Ferrari prove to be, not only faster by more reliable next year? Will they be able to not only bring the fight to Mercedes but also win it? Only time will tell what the future will hold for each team, their drivers, and their fans. What is for certain, however, is that one race remains in the 2017 season, and with no championship on the line to worry about, it is bound to be an all out shoot out of some of the greatest racers in the world.