As the F1 season enters its summer break, it is time to reflect on the first part of the season, and see who the break which actually help more between the two drivers battling it out for the championship in Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel. Over the years we have seen many occasions where the summer break has helped one competitor over the other, and we have also seen some huge comebacks post-summer break. If you like to gamble on the outcome of races or the season on the whole, you should be keeping an eye on live odds throughout the break, as they generally fluctuate quite a lot. This is even truer given how tight the race is at the moment, bet here for strong odds on who will lift the drivers Championship this year. And so, with gambling in mind, let’s have a look at whether the summer break will help Vettel or Hamilton more.
So Far
Despite Vettel kickstarting the season in style with 3 wins from 4, Lewis Hamilton has slowly found the groove in his Mercedes, notching up 5 wins and and more podium finishes than the German, leaving him 24 points clear of his rival. Everyone thought that the Ferrari would be the car to beat this year, but given the fact that Mercedes have just won back-to-back races and are now 10 points clear in the Constructors’ standings, that may not be the case.
Vettel’s Break
There is no question about it that this Ferrari is the fastest car in the field this year, if only the team and Vettel could unlock its true potential. Throughout the summer break Ferrari will no doubt be working on this, knowing that in these four weeks they can radically improve their season.
The unfortunate thing for Vettel is that whilst some may think a break may break the stride of Hamilton, history shows that the Brit gets stronger after the break. With this in mind, Ferrari will have to come up with the right settings and diagnostic approach, if they want two give their driver the chance that he deserves.
Hamilton’s Break
Lewis Hamilton will be very relaxed going into the break, knowing that his car is performing at the very peak of its powers, as is he. Hamilton has been in this position before and if this season is anything like his previous winning seasons, we should expect him to hit the Belgian Grand Prix as though he has never been away.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has spoken frequently about the need to get the power in his Mercedes up to the same level of the Ferrari, but it is unlikely that there will be too many changes to the car, especially given the position which they are currently in.
So Who Does It Benefit?
The honest answer is that the break will benefit both teams, but only if the Ferrari can work out its kinks, and if Hamilton repeats history and drives a better second half of the season, Hamilton will no doubt welcome the break, and Ferrari will welcome additional time to get their car in shape.
