“Must Be a Distraction”- Why Ross Brawn Believes Sebastian Vettel Is “Surprised and Shocked” by Ferrari

On Sunday, Scuderia Ferrari had a mixed day in the office at Austria. While Charles Leclerc benefitted from a series of unfortunate events to bag a podium, Sebastian Vettel did not have the same luck.

In light of Vettel’s poor showing, F1 Managing Director Ross Brawn wrote about the German in a column for F1. The former Ferrari strategist thinks that Vettel’s sudden dismissal is negatively affecting his performance.

During the race, Charles Leclerc dived into the inside of future teammate Carlos Sainz. Sensing an opportunity, Vettel tried to follow him through, but spun when Sainz slammed the door shut. From there, he tumbled to the back of the pack but managed to recover and scrounge a point for P10.

What did Ross Brawn say about Sebastian Vettel?

He wrote on the F1 website, “It was a difficult start to Sebastian’s final season with the team. Everything must be swirling round in his head, after he found out Ferrari did not want to renew his services for next season.”

According to him, Vettel was surprised and shocked at how the entire situation unfolded. So, he suspected that the split with Ferrari served as a major distraction for the 4-time world champion.

On the subject of Scuderia Ferrari, Brawn is not fooled by Leclerc’s unexpected podium in Austria. According to him, Ferrari is clearly facing a Herculean task.

He concluded, “Their performance by their own admission was disappointing. On Sunday, Charles showed what a talented driver he is, managing his chances wisely to take an opportunistic second place. It is in these difficult races where the determination and talent of a very special drivers come through.

“Sebastian has appeared surprised and shocked by what has happened and it must be a distraction, understandably so.”

However, he warned that Ferrari needs to quickly improve their situation. If not, they could potentially face a very difficult season. He noted that though they have some designs prepared for Hungary, the start of the year has been tougher than expected.