2018 F1 Season
21 races · Mercedes W09
In 2018, Ferrari again gave Sebastian Vettel a car capable of winning the championship, and for half the season the German kept up a thrilling fight with Lewis Hamilton. At several circuits, the Ferrari was even faster than the Mercedes.
Yet the title ended up being decided by mistakes. The most painful came in Germany: leading his home race in the rain, Vettel spun off and handed the win to Hamilton, a psychological blow he never recovered from. Other errors, like Monza, finished off his chances.
Hamilton, flawless in the key moments, took his fifth world title and matched the five championships of the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio, leaving him behind only Michael Schumacher.
Drivers' Champion
Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes W09
Constructors' Champion
Mercedes
21 races
Key moment
"Vettel spins off at Hockenheim in the rain while leading — championship turning point."
What if 2018 had been raced 100 times?
We took the real 2018 grid — every car with its performance and reliability, every driver with his rating — and re-ran the full 21-race championship 100 times.
| Driver | Avg. finish | Titles |
|---|---|---|
| Lewis Hamiltonreal championMercedes | P1 | 100% |
| Sebastian VettelFerrari | P2.4 | 0% |
| Kimi RäikkönenFerrari | P3.3 | 0% |
| Valtteri BottasMercedes | P3.5 | 0% |
| Max VerstappenRed Bull | P4.9 | 0% |
| Daniel RicciardoRed Bull | P6 | 0% |
Lewis Hamilton wins 100% of the simulated championships. Runner-up Sebastian Vettel manages 0%: with that machinery, the real result was very nearly the only one available.
Tags
What if Senna, Hamilton or Alonso had driven the 2018 championship-winning car?