Silverstone: A beleaguered Sebastian Vettel received support from an unexpected source Monday after another dismal outing Sunday for Ferrari in an action-packed British Grand Prix.
Two weeks ahead of his home German Grand Prix, the under-pressure four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel endured a race to forget as he slipped 100 points adrift of the victorious record-breaking Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes by finishing a distant 16th.
Another in his growing catalogue of errors was when Sebastian Vettel slammed into the rear of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull and was forced to pit for a new nose. It brought him a 10-second penalty and two points on his licence.
It was also the third consecutive race in which the 32-year-old German was beaten comprehensively by his team-mate Charles Leclerc, who came home third.
The 21-year-old Monegasque is now only three points behind him and many observers suggested that Ferrari will have to make him their main priority, instead of Vettel, in the title race.
Those critics, however, do not include five-time champion and long-time rival Hamilton whose record sixth Silverstone win thrilled a sold-out crowd of 141,000.
“He’s (Vettel) had a difficult race today (Sunday), but he’s a four-time World Champion,” said Hamilton after the race late Sunday evening. “He will recover. He will redeem himself, if he feels he needs to, and he will come back stronger in the next race – that’s what great athletes do.”
Hamilton’s opinion was not shared by many keen Ferrari-observers who have watched Vettel declining in the last year, notably since crashing out of the lead on home soil at Hockenheim, gifting Hamilton victory and the impetus in last year’s championship.
Recently married and a father of two girls, Vettel has lost his momentum at the same time that Leclerc – with four successive podiums – has gathered his to emerge alongside Verstappen, also 21, as a symbol of F1’s future.
This year, Sebastian Vettel has struggled for consistency and experienced misfortunes with a run of stewards’ decisions, but he rejected claims that he has lost his passion for racing and is heading towards retirement.
Hamilton, who misses the threat of a rampant Ferrari team, said he has to imagine he has a competitor ahead, or on his tail, as he urges his former rival to bounce back.
“I loved competing with Ferrari and I wish that our battle was with them – it’s so different when you’re racing within a team,” Hamilton explained.
AFP
