Palmer: 'The First Psychological Blow Has Been Struck'

Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer believes Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel has landed the first ‘psychological blow’ in this year’s Formula One season.

The former Renault driver said:

"The first psychological blow has been struck,

"It will hurt for Hamilton. Having driven a perfect weekend, to lose a race through matters outside of your control is a nightmare scenario.

"As a driver, there are so many questions you want to ask your team to figure out how things went wrong, but ultimately this one is mainly down to a stroke of bad luck."

Palmer, who drove his last race in last season’s Japanese Grand Prix, added:

"For Vettel and Ferrari, this win will give them a huge boost and an energy for the rest of the year,

"Mercedes will learn from their defeat. They won't take any chances in Bahrain. And Hamilton will have the bit between his teeth, fully motivated for revenge.

"After the race, beyond the initial disappointment of the defeat, he seemed positive, willing to learn with the team to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Palmer believes his compatriot Hamilton will respond well in Bahrain, saying:

“Hamilton has matured a lot over the years and has surely become a stronger driver, tougher to beat than ever.

"Often this is when we see Hamilton at his best, though. He will be out to make amends.

"It's important Hamilton responds in the best way possible in the next round in Bahrain,"