Big Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel claims made about Hamilton

Former Renault driver Jolyon Palmer thinks Lewis Hamilton was so superior that he would have won the Formula One title this season if he was driving Ferrari and he has exposed the flaws of Sebastian Vettel across the season. “Vettel is a world-class driver. He has won four titles himself and has been well on top of team-mate [Kimi] Raikkonen,” writing in his BBC Sports column, Palmer said. “But this year Hamilton has exposed his flaws while driving flawlessly himself. “Vettel had all the pressure and kept cracking. Major errors at the French, German, Italian, Japanese and US Grands Prix cost him. Hamilton was unflappable. “Vettel could have won the title this year, given his turn of speed and the form of Ferrari. “He and Hamilton started the season with four titles apiece, and nothing to choose between the cars. There was plenty to choose between the drivers once it all panned out. “Hamilton would have won the championship in either car, with the form he has been in this season. He added: “Hamilton signed a new two-year deal with Mercedes in the summer that will keep him there until at least the end of 2020 when there are likely to be major rule changes. “Mercedes have been the dominant team since 2014 when turbo hybrid engines came in. Although Ferrari potentially had the best car for much of this season, it was pretty close on balance. “It would be a real surprise if Mercedes as a team were not able to mount a title challenge again next year, especially with Hamilton at the helm. “Hamilton turns 34 in January. That is the sort of age at which drivers traditionally move towards the twilight of their careers. Alonso is retiring at the end of the season at 37 years old, and Jenson Button was 36 when he retired at the end of 2016. “Raikkonen bucks that trend, though, and his move to Sauber next year means he will still be driving at 41. With Hamilton's current form, it doesn't look as though age is any problem for him. “In 2018, he's had the best year of his career to date. He's been unbelievably quick, decisive in his overtaking, and has made so few mistakes. “Whether he can get to Michael Schumacher's record of seven world titles or even beyond will depend largely on his motivation, because his talent is unquestionable and his team are proven winners. “Even more than that though, if Mercedes were to drop back for whatever reason, any other team would jump at the chance to sign Hamilton, because he can make the difference to a title-winning campaign as he's proven this year.”

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