Press: Vettel mistakes to cost Ferrari title
The Italian press has questioned Sebastian Vettel's ability to win the 2018 world championship for Ferrari.
The German has made some mistakes so far this year, including on Ferrari's home turf at Monza with a clash against championship leader Lewis Hamilton.
Vettel is now 30 points behind the leading Mercedes, albeit with clearly the faster car.
But La Gazzetta dello Sport said Ferrari itself is also bungling its big chance.
"Maranello does everything wrong," the Italian sports daily declared.
"Lewis Hamilton once again pulled off a masterpiece, expressing talent and determination that no one else can match."
Corriere dello Sport agrees: "Hamilton is the trump card for Mercedes, whose cars are inferior to Ferrari.
"You not only need to be fast, you need to know how to win."
La Repubblica said Ferrari "threw away" the Monza win.
And Corriere della Sera said of Vettel: "At Monza he confirmed himself as a driver who knows no compromise -- either very strong or very fragile."
La Stampa said Vettel's mistakes "could cost him the world title when he has the fastest car".
"Hamilton is perfect, cold-blooded and cynical when circumstances require," the newspaper added.
Speed Week quoted 1996 world champion Damon Hill as wondering if Vettel has "cracked under the pressure".
Former F1 driver Jarno Trulli said: "Sometimes when you're racing, you do the wrong thing. But the truth is that Vettel has the best car and he's done it more than once.
"His mistake at Hockenheim was clear, the others are things that can happen but at the moment you cannot keep being wrong with the fastest car."
2016 world champion Nico Rosberg agrees, telling RTL: "You cannot beat Lewis Hamilton when you make so many mistakes.
"Lewis showed at Monza why he is one of the best -- he proves himself in an inferior car," he added.
Speaking to Bild newspaper, former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said of Rosberg's comments: "He may be right. Ferrari is more used to losing than Mercedes is."
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Don"t blame Vettel for what happened at Monza as surely everyone knew Hamilton would attack seb at the very start of the race so Ferrari strategy should have been to protect him and advise Kimi to let his mate pass and not block and allow Hamilton get in there.Ferrari I pray Singapore race is your redemption!
I agree with your assessment, but your prayer is misplaced. Ferrari specializes in making mistakes and losing races for their drivers. Ferrari needs to get rid of that dour-faced Arrivabene. He should do what he does best - sell cigarettes.
I just wonder if Kimi's contract situation gave him a little extra motivation to have one last hurrah!
I thought I read in one of the articles posted here that Kimmi knows that his contract is not going to be renewed. The two pass attempts that Vettel referred to and that Kimmi did not "cooperate" on may have been his way of telling Arrivabene where to go. Emotionally I quite understand it. Since they won't renew the contract he won't play Vettel's "wing man." Thus Hamilton gets the championship this year and Kimmi leaves Ferrari as the last driver to win championship in a Ferrari. I feel bad for Vettel, but if this conjecture is true I support Kimmi's decision.
Completely agree that Arrivabene almost always seems as though he's just been chewed out by his Missus. Very Dour attitude. And that they've (The Team) made a few mistakes this year, not least another unsafe release of Vettel on Sunday that could have been harshly punished after their engineer breaking a leg only a couple of months ago.
As for Vettel it was a mistake......not a huge one but a costly one nonetheless. And he is making too many of them. I believe that the Ferrari has been a match for the Mercedes for all of last season and for the last four or five races it's been as far ahead of the Merc as the Merc was ahead of it in 2016. I think that if Hamilton had been driving the 2017 Ferrari he'd have won the Championship in it and had he been in it this year he'd have a 70 point advantage.
Vettel is very talented, incredibly fast and smooth when everything is in the zone but like his idol he is prone to red mist aggression. He's never going to beat Hamilton in the wet but with the car he has and the talent which is obvious he must start driving cleanly and error reduced or he will never achieve the fifth championship he covets and Ferrari will be looking elsewhere because they already know Hamilton is the most rounded and complete package.
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