Chronicle Editor
Sebastian Vettel’s performance at the Bahrain Grand Prix has raised serious questions – about his series of unforced errors, about his status within Ferrari and about his claim to be a potential world champion this year.
A spin while battling with Lewis Hamilton and a weekend on which he was out-paced by his new team-mate were exactly what Vettel did not need just two races into the new season.
The German came into 2019 needing to bury memories of 2018, when Ferrari had the fastest car for much of the season. Vettel had it within his hands to win a fifth world title, but a series of errors cost him that chance.
A crash out of the lead in Germany, and spins in Italy, Japan and the United States all left a lot of doubts.
As such, Vettel would have welcomed the winter break by the time Abu Dhabi came around last November.
The off-season is the perfect time to get away from Formula 1 and the mental anguish it can sometimes bring.
The season is unrelenting – 21 races across five continents over nine months.
Every day the drivers are at the track they are answering questions from the media, and that can be particularly tough when you are on a bad run, as Vettel was in 2018.
But just two races into 2019 and the very same questions will be asked once more, and this time they will be asked louder.
An ‘amateur’ error from a four-time champion
Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton during the Bahrain Grand Prix
Vettel damaged his left rear tyre and front wing when he spun on lap 38 in Bahrain
Vettel’s spin in the race in Bahrain was amateur.
Defending from Hamilton on the run up to Turn Four, Vettel did the right thing to cover the inside.
But then Hamilton swept around him with a brilliant move, throwing caution to the wind by going so late on the brakes and attacking the corner with so much speed.
The move was done. Vettel then lit up the rear tyres, too heavy on the throttle on the exit and simply spun the car. He was clearly flustered by the Mercedes coming through and panicked.
The spin was different to his three at the back end of last year because this one was on the exit of the corner, rather than on the entry or at the apex with a car squeezing him from the outside. But the reason for it seems to be the same – panic in the heat of battle.
—BBC.
Online Reporter