Sebastian Vettel has won two of the first three races of the 2018 F1 season and leads the championship. However, team-mate Kimi Raikkonen has been the source of Ferrari’s strength so far.

The 4-time world champion has been very opportunistic on Mercedes’ bad days and at the forefront on Ferrari’s good days.

However, Raikkonen has evolved from Vettel’s back up to a consistent frontrunner. He has been very competitive compared to earlier years and is closer to Vettel by every measure.

In terms of qualifying performance, Raikkonen has slashed the deficit to Vettel to 0.073s in the first 3 races, compared to 0.391s in the same period last year.

It is almost as if Raikkonen has been replaced by a completely different person. Meanwhile, Vettel looked more and more vulnerable in 2017 as Ferrari’s anticipated title challenge failed to materialise.

One reason for the Raikkonen resurgence could be the car. Raikkonen has often struggled to adapt to a car that does not suit his style.

But he appears more comfortable with the Ferrari SF71H, which is as consistent as it’s predecessor. It also gives its drivers good feel and a stable front end in different conditions.

Raikkonen did not get off the blocks immediately in 2017 like Vettel did, but his form improved throughout the season. With Ferrari’s tinkering, Raikkonen has been quicker out of the starting blocks this year.

Unfortunately, certain factors beyond his control has prevented him from reaching the top step. Namely, the safety car in Australia, a botched pitstop in Bahrain and Ferrari’s awful strategy in China.

Raikkonen was strong in the Bahrain GP practice but couldn’t convert it when it mattered. While at the Chinese GP, he was overhauled by Vettel in qualifying.

He made a good start but was a little too timid when challenging Vettel into Turn 1. Despite all that, Raikkonen looks like a bigger asset to the team.