F1 2018: 4 Errors That Cost Vettel the Championship Lead

#2 Lapse of concentration at the German Grand Prix

Sebastian Vettel threw away a GP win with a momentary lapse of reason

Vettel's needless crash at the German Grand Prix handed the championship lead to Lewis Hamilton, again.

Ferrari showed tremendous pace throughout the weekend, and Sebastian Vettel took the pole at his home Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton suffered a setback in qualifying that saw him start the race from the back of the grid.

The race began in a regular fashion, and there were no surprises, with Vettel leading the race, followed by Raikkonen and Bottas. With clouds over the track, everyone was prepared for the impending rain, and it was not a question of 'if' but a question of 'when.' Meanwhile, the Briton continued his charge up the field with a few nifty overtaking manoeuvres.

The rain eventually came on lap 44, and the conditions made it quite difficult for the drivers as most of them were running on the softs. A slight error in judgement from Vettel, coupled with the damp track conditions, made the German lose his rear on the Sachs Kurve and hit the barriers after sliding through the gravel, which forced his retirement.

Vettel's crash on lap 52 along with the inconsistent rain spells left the door wide open for Hamilton to claim a memorable victory in a race that he started from the fourteenth place.