Ferrari may hold a comfortable lead over BMW and McLaren in the Formula 1 constructor standings, but their strategic position seem to be costing both driver’s the championship.
Put simply, while Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa have been competing against each other (and other drivers) for the lead, Mclaren’s overriding support for Lewis Hamilton ahead of team-mate Heikki Kovaleinen seems to be paying off.
This may be a tough concept to get around if you’re not entirely familiar with F1, but Sunday’s German grand prix clearly illustrated why Hamilton is currently leading the championship ahead of Massa (second), Raikkonen (third) and his McLaren team-mate who sits sixth on the table.
With 15 laps remaining, Kovaleinen forfeited fourth position to Hamilton, giving the 22-year-old Brit an opportunity to push forward and take victory for McLaren.
The end result would have been a lot different if the two drivers battled it out for position – an occurrence that would more likely have taken place if the two Ferrari drivers (previously equal on points) were in the same position.
During the days of Michael Schumacher, Ferrari drivers weren’t allowed to race against each other.
The procedure was criticised by many for the lack of competition within the team.
But with one dominant driver, there is a valid reason for the practice, which McLaren now appear to be adopting.
Lewis has won the last two Grand Prix races and will attempt to make it three-in-a-row in the next round of the championship due to be held in Hungary in two weeks time.
With eight races remaining, there is a still a long road ahead for both McLaren and Ferrari.
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