Aston Martin driver Sebastian Vettel is on the road to recovery following a torturous final season with Ferrari that ended with his departure.
He struggled for the entirety of the 2020 season, regularly featuring in a battle with the midfield while watching his teammate Charles Leclerc finish in front of him more often than not.
The four-time world champion, however, has constantly been claiming that he is still good enough to compete against the very best in the sport.
Former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone feels that Ferrari played a big role in Vettel’s poor performances. The 90-year-old said that Vettel is an extremely sensitive individual, and the way Ferrari treated him had a very negative impact on his psyche.
“What many do not know is that Sebastian is very sensitive. He loves to be loved. That has never happened to him at Ferrari,” Ecclestone said.
Vettel, did, however, manage to earn himself a seat at Aston Martin despite a poor showing for Ferrari last season.
What will work well for Vettel is the fact that Aston Martin has said that if the team fails to be competitive this year, it will be due to no fault of Vettel’s. Rather, it would be due to their own shortcomings.
This sort of atmosphere will work perfectly for Vettel, who should draw confidence from the faith shown in him by his new team.
Ecclestone had a word of advice for Vettel to rediscover his former glory days.
“The best thing he can do and what everyone can do is forget the Ferrari past. Then he can find his way back to his old strength,” he said.
While pre-season testing wasn’t ideal for Aston Martin, who were visibly struggling in Bahrain, the team remains upbeat that it can be competitive this season.
Do you think Vettel will find form once again this season?
Read more: “Horror show for him”: Schumacher explains how Ferrari damaged Vettel psychologically