Doornbos: Vettel-Ferrari collapse 'incomprehensible'
Former F1 driver Robert Doornbos has joined those who are critical of Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari's handling of their 2018 title quest.
Now with just four races to go, winning the championship seems like an impossible task for German Vettel, despite recently having the best car in the field.
Doornbos, a former Red Bull driver, said Vettel's failed move on Max Verstappen was just the latest example of a critical error in 2018.
"Why did he have to be so eager?" the Dutchman told Ziggo Sport.
"It's incomprehensible, when so much is at stake for him and his team, to put himself in an impossible position next to Max."
Doornbos has joined those who think the pressure got to Vettel and Ferrari.
"It went away so quickly," he said. "After 10 races he was 8 points ahead of Hamilton and 7 races later he's 67 points behind and it's over."
Doornbos thinks the fact that Ferrari has decided to oust Vettel's teammate and friend Kimi Raikkonen is a sign that the Maranello team "no longer always listens to Seb".
"Vettel must be challenged and Kimi does not," he said. "So they're putting a young dog (Charles Leclerc) next to him and let's see what happens. It's time for a fresh wind.
"The mental war has clearly been won by Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes," he added. "In bad times there is often a hint of panic in Ferrari."
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Team Manager's responsibility. Arrivedierchi
Perhaps it is the essential fact of being 'Latin,' Ferrari is indeed 'ITALIAN.'
"Fuego" in Spanish, "Fuoco" in Italian, ... better "Forza!"
The focus of 'EMOTION' can be only POSITIVE, if & only if, it is reigned in by the Intellect, Science, the mind.
This we can only see in the long term.
The only thing constant in the 'Italian' Ferrari, is their presence & "Forza" level of competition in Formula 1.
Let us not forget also their "Tifosi," their most loyal, noisy & complaining fanboys !
They win 'once in a very long while,' ... and that's about it.
:(
Consider the Germans & Mercedes Benz, their history is motor racing, in Formula 1, they've triumphed at the highest levels, and in the emotion of a fatal tragedy in the 50's, decided to leave, 'Mind over Emotion.'
Now that they have returned to Formula 1, their 'scientific Mind' again comes to fore and have 'dominated Formula 1 for the 5th year' (ho-hum), and I fear they will once again depart for the simple reason that they have proven their 'scientific point' (again) & indeed, once and for all.
:/
With the advent of the "Electrics" & dominance of the "Electronic" in motorsports reality,
it will indeed be 'Most Interesting Times' for Formula 1 and the rest of us 'gear & petrol heads.'
Fossil Fuels have maybe another decade or so, but that is it for Formula 1, the 'smells, the scream of the engine,' of all motor racing as we know it.
We must cherish whatever we have left, ... alas today, that is not much except the knowledge of who is going to win the Formula 1 Championships.
:(
Sad it is indeed, but inevitably TRUE.
:(