Former F1 Grand Prix winner Mark Webber was once a major rival to Sebastian Vettel. The two drivers have had various intense moments including team radio fallouts, collisions, and even dissed their own team orders to get at each other.
However, Webber has recently revealed that his rivalry was limited to the tracks. He has laid out words of support for the German, who is going through a testing period in terms of form.
The Australian has pinned the blame on Vettel’s previous team, Ferrari. According to him, Vettel’s experience with the Maranello outfit is what is responsible for his current state.
In an interview, Webber has encouraged Vettel and hopes that he improves in the future races.
“It hurts me, the people in Germany may not believe me, but I would like him to do well,” he said. “I believe that the Ferrari experience has taken a piece of his soul,” he said.
“I think he has felt that confidence has broken. And he is now trying to regain the momentum to enjoy what he loves about the sport.”
After a rewarding stint with Red Bull, Vettel joined hands with Ferrari with high hopes. But, it all came crashing down in 2020, which marked a particularly difficult year for the German.
Webber thinks that Vettel joining Aston Martin can decide if he is going to bounce back or not.
“If you don’t enjoy your job, it affects performance. It’s going to be a tough six months. He’s the only one who can fix that inside himself,” he said.
“You don’t think about what he’s achieved in the past at the moment. It’s hard to see. I hope he can get it back together soon.
“It is a great challenge for him. I hope he manages, that he gets the confidence in the Aston Martin. But it is a mountain that he has to climb.”
Even though he faced two unfortunate outings, Vettel has complete support from his current team. While the incident in Bahrain can be pinned on the German, things in Imola were not in his control.
Vettel had an amazing race in Imola. But a pre-race misfortune and an unexpected penalty ruined the Aston Martin driver’s chance of scoring points.
There are still many race weekends in line for Vettel to showcase his class. Will he be able to do so in Portugal? Let us know in the comments below!
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