After the world champion season lurched into a fresh low in the GP, sebastian Vettel was endorsed to turn around his form by Ferrari’s top boss.
Vettel’s early twist from fourth place – and resultant pit-lane penalty for what was deemed by stewards for a’dangerous’ clash on his own return to the trail using Lance Stroll – came on the afternoon team-mate Charles Leclerc ended Ferrari’s nine-year wait for a home Monza success with a stirring win in front of the Tifosi.
The latest mistakes of vettel add to a series of mistakes in race conditions within the last two seasons – but Ferrari’s chief executive, Louis Camilleri, insists people are unwise to write off one of the F1’s motorists.
Talking to Sky Sports F1 as Ferrari celebrated Monza victory, Camilleri admitted”we’re going to have to lift his spirits” but insisted:”I don’t enjoy the fact that people are working to write off Seb.
“He is an amazing driver and that I have every assurance that Seb’s going to return.”
Camilleri’s view was shared by Mercedes’ Toto Wolff, that doesn’t doubt that Vettel will go back to his best form.
“Do not write him off, because he’s a four-time world champion,” said Wolff to colleagues.
“The difference between the amazing ones and the great ones is that the terrific ones are able to get up and I have no doubt that he can do this.
“He had a spell of bad races and it will be about the ability to get himself back to where he would like to be. Now, for certain is a terrible day for him.”
But is Leclerc Ferrari’s number one?
Following a run before the summer break, the battle for supremacy between the young and established driver of the team has grown into one of the main stories of F1 2019 Even though Ferrari are not in the entire tournament fight, despite Leclerc’s back-to-back wins.
Leclerc has always outperformed the 32-year-old in months, although ferrari began this season by saying they’d provide precedence from calls for Vettel.
Leclerc maintained their first two wins of 2019 and has qualified in the previous seven races. Leclerc also moved forward of Vettel by 13 points in the Drivers’ Championship.
“Mattia has said they are equal,” said Camilleri.
“We started the season like that [using Vettel as settlement ], matters evolve over time.”
But can Vettel, whose Ferrari contract runs to the end of 2020, reassert himself?
Sky F1’s Nico Rosberg considers his countryman and former rival finds himself in a tough place – but says Vettel may work his way.
“This instant must be quite so dark because of him. His team-mate just became an absolute Ferrari legend and has obtained the number one status in the team, probably, from him,” said Rosberg.
“Vettel is one of those guys with a lot of self-confidence, therefore that’s going to help him a lot through this. And it that it just takes one particular race one race that is really powerful, and you are back.
“We shouldn’t write him off since he can return very quick – but it is not an easy one.”
Do not miss the rest of the Formula 1 year on Sky Sports F1. Find out more here to subscribe
Read more: url