Another race, another disappointment for Sebastian Vettel. Looks like this may as well become a trend that fans will have to get used to for the remainder of the season.
The 4-time World Champion, to put it mildly, has had a horrendous weekend in Britain.
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It began with him unable to participate in FP1 on Friday, followed by a miserly 18th fastest lap time in FP2. It was more of the same on Saturday, as Vettel finished qualifying in P10.
So it seemed only natural for a calamitous weekend to end in more disappointment for the prancing horses and the German in particular. Had Bottas and Sainz’s tires not given way, Vettel wouldn’t even have made it into the points.
Mattia Binotto consoles Sebastian Vettel after a dismal outing in Britain
Team radio post gara di Sebastian #Vettel. Il radio check chiesto alla fine avviene perché dopo le parole di Binotto, Seb rimane in silenzio per circa un minuto (pur avvicinando il dito al tasto della radio tentennando e senza premerlo).#BritishGP #F1 #Ferrari #TeamRadio #Race pic.twitter.com/XpShawZGBh
— Alex Brunetti (@deadlinex) August 2, 2020
After managing to keep Bottas behind him to cross the finish line in P10, Vettel revealed to his team what he made of today’s race.
The German said, “Yeah, it was a tough race. I had very, very little confidence in the car. Basically similar to Quali. Struggling lap to lap. Trying the little things. But nothing really was a breakthrough.”
Vettel was offered scant consolation by Team Principal Mattia Binotto, who said, “Tough race today. We know it’s been a difficult weekend. But in a week’s time, we are back here, we’ll do better.”
Doing ‘better’ will be imperative, come next Sunday. If Ferrari aren’t able to solve Vettel’s issues with the car Binotto’s head may as well be placed on the chopping block.
While Vettel struggled throughout the course of the race, his teammate Charles Leclerc fared way better. In fact, it almost seemed like the two of them were driving two very different cars.
Leclerc started the race in P4 and crossed the checkered flag in P3. It was the Monegasque’s second podium finish this season.
Leclerc’s impressive performance was also acknowledged by his teammate along with the team’s quick pitstop. Vettel was heard on the radio saying, “Well done to Charles and good pitstop guys.”
After a week off, Vettel would have hoped for a change in fortunes, but alas, it was not meant to be. One can only wonder what happens from here on. Surely Vettel and his car can’t do any worse, can they?
Can the German redeem himself at the very same venue next week? Can Ferrari give Vettel a car as good as they have given Leclerc? Or will it be more of the same? Who knows.
But quite frankly, it’s painful to see the difference in pace between the two teammates. Here’s to hoping that Vettel can get some redemption next week.
