Vettel: Hamilton and Mercedes are toying with everyone

Hamilton's car is so superior to the Ferrari, it's as fast as the Ferrari even if their tires are old and blistered while the Ferrari has brand new soft tires

Sebastian Vettel has said what most have been saying for some months now, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes are simply in another league and have been for 5 straight year, the five-time World Champion toying with his rivals as he marches unhindered to a sixth title with a superior car.

After trouncing his rivals at the French Grand Prix, including teammate Valtteri Bottas, Hamilton is well ahead in the championship having won six times and finished second twice in the first eight races of this season. Vettel trails him by 76 points!

Ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, with disappointing memories of France still fresh, Vettel told reporters, “Let’s stop kidding ourselves, Lewis is playing with us. I risked everything to do the fastest lap, but Lewis did the same lap time on worn and blistering tires."

The Ferrari driver was referencing the fact that on lap 53 of the race at Paul Ricard when Hamilton had a crack at the fastest lap on aged tires, his effort only a couple hundredths of a second shy of the race's fastest lap set by Vettel – on fresh rubber and on softer rubber – at the same point in the race.

“In the end, we have to find more downforce, then we will be able to use the tires better. Maybe we should drive on the old Osterreichring, where there aren’t many corners," quipped the German.