Ferrari
Ferrari are leading the Constructors' championship after the first four races of the 2018 season. In this picture, Sebastian Vettel of Germany and Ferrari and Kimi Raikkonen of Finland and Ferrari on the drivers parade before the Azerbaijan Formula One Grand Prix at Baku City Circuit on April 29, 2018, in Baku, Azerbaijan. Clive Mason/Getty Images

Four-time Formula 1 Drivers’ world champion Alain Prost backed his former team Ferrari to finally end Mercedes’ dominance and win the Constructors’ title this season.

The Silver Arrows team are the reigning champions and have won both the titles for the last four years — since the introduction of the V6 Turbo power units. Very rarely has a team come close to challenging them thus far.

In 2017, Ferrari mounted a small challenge, but could not sustain it throughout the campaign. This season, they seem to have developed a car that can match the pace of the Mercedes both in qualifying and the race.

Ferrari won two of the first four races of the campaign despite onlookers suggesting they were behind Mercedes and Red Bull Racing prior to the start of the campaign. Prost is of the view that Ferrari can finally challenge Mercedes for the team title, especially since Kimi Raikkonen seems to be able to get the best out of the 2018 car.

The Finn is yet to win a race after returning to Ferrari in 2018, but this season, he seems to be able to challenge Vettel, who has been the main challenger to Lewis Hamilton. According to the former Ferrari driver, Raikkonen’s competitiveness will help Ferrari pick up more points compared to previous seasons.

“I made a mistake last year when I said that every time there is a change of regulation, Ferrari was rarely there,” Prost told Auto Bild, as quoted by planetf1.com. “In the winter Mercedes and Red Bull seemed to be a little better, but it turned out that they [Ferrari] are there in qualifying and tire management.”

“And also Kimi Raikkonen is there at Sebastian Vettel‘s level which will be a great help. I think this year Ferrari can win,” he added.

Prost also believes Lewis Hamilton will find it difficult to repeat his championship success this season with six drivers almost on the same level as him. Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull have all won races this year and there does not seem to be a big gap separating the top three teams during the race.

The Mercedes driver, also a four-time world champion, has, thus far, only battled with a single driver for the title in the last four years, but this season he will have to contend with five other drivers. And Prost thinks it will be difficult for the Briton to manage during the races.

“I think the engine has progressed more than the chassis,” Prost said about how Ferrari have progressed this season.

“The six drivers for Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull can be competitive in all circumstances,” he added. “It’s more difficult for Hamilton, who has usually fought for championships against single drivers only.”

“Now he will not be able to manage races in the same way against four or five competitors, but for us, it will be exciting.”

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