ESPN.com · Apr 9, 2018
Why a slower Ferrari is beating a faster Mercedes
Why a slower Ferrari is beating a faster Mercedes With ten laps remaining in the Bahrain Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel was convinced he was going to lose the lead to Valtteri Bottas.
A tit-for-tat game of strategy had played out on the pit wall during the opening pit stops, but from the cockpit of car No.5 it felt as though Bottas -- now on fresher, more durable tyres and closing fast -- had him at "checkmate". It would be an honourable defeat - the Mercedes had emerged as the faster car after all - but still a frustrating one.