Vettel At Fault More Than Ferrari, Hamilton 2019 Title Favorite, Massa Says

Felipe Massa has accused Sebastian Vettel of making more mistakes than Ferrari after their 2018 Formula 1 Drivers’ title challenge unraveled in the face of numerous mistakes as Lewis Hamilton wrapped up his fifth title at the Mexico Grand Prix.

The Italian team looked like genuine contenders in the first half of the season to end Mercedes’ four-year dominance of the sport after they built a car worthy of challenging for regular wins. And they did so as Vettel took wins in the opening two races and for the first time in the V6 Turbo era the Ferrari engine looked on par with the Mercedes.

The German driver was touted as the favorite and looked to be in control of the championship. But the German Grand Prix prior to the summer break changed the entire outcome of the championship after Vettel, who was comfortably in the lead, crashed out after locking his breaks on a damp circuit.

It proved to be a crucial mistake as he has only won one of the last nine races since. He had the chance to claw back the lead after the break but crucial mistakes at the Italian, Singapore and Japanese Grand Prix saw him give the initiative to Hamilton, who was unshakable in his resolve to win the title.

But Vettel was not the only culprit as Ferrari made a number of questionable strategy calls, which did not favor their number one driver, which also aided in the championship slipping from their grasp.

However, former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa believes the blame lies mainly on Vettel’s shoulder as he made more errors — something not expected of a four-time world champion — during the course of the campaign.

“Vettel and Ferrari missed a chance this year, but I think Sebastian has more guilt than the team,” Massa told Globo’s Bem Amigos program, as quoted on Planet F1. “Germany was especially painful, where Vettel could have won but he lost the full 25 points."

“But there were also mistakes in qualifying, the wrong strategies, unnecessary contact with Bottas in France,” he added. “I think Vettel made more mistakes than Ferrari did.”

The Brazilian also praised Hamilton, who is the deserved 2018 champion, having made no mistakes during the season. He believes the British racer can go on to be the greatest ever in F1.

Massa also nominated Hamilton as the favorite for the 2019 title — and it is a call that makes most sense owing to Mercedes’ superiority.

“He is already the one with the most poles in history and close to the record for wins,” Massa said.

“He is 33 years old and seems to be an obvious favourite in the fight for the title next season,” he added. “He has a chance to beat all of the records.”