While it’s far too early to draw definitive conclusions about this year’s championship, the outcomes at Bahrain suggest that history may be about to repeat itself for Ferrari’s #1, Sebastian Vettel.
It’s just two races into the 2019 Formula One World Championship, and we are potentially seeing a change in the established order at Ferrari. Since joining the team in 2015, Sebastian Vettel has been the clear #1 driver.
His teammate in previous seasons (before this year)–Kimi Raikkonen–was an enigma. Although brilliantly talented and fast (winning the 2007 Drivers World Championship shows), Raikkonen too often fell below his natural talent. While Kimi was on the team, Ferrari put its focus on Vettel.
However, this year Kimi is gone and a new, potential superstar is in. He’s Charles Leclerc, a man who has risen and progressed through the racing ranks of the Ferrari family. Leclerc has spent his career in the junior categories as a member of Ferrari’s Young Driver Academy. There he won pretty much every championship he entered.
Could Leclerc replace Vettel as the (unofficial) #1 driver at Ferrari and became the carmaker’s main championship contender? He just might, and here’s why.
Vettel is undoubtedly already a Formula One great, the youngest ever World Champion. He’s also a four-time world champion–all won back-to-back (2010–2013)–in his dominant Red Bull days. Only three drivers have won more world titles. He has 52 career race-wins to his name, which puts him 3rd on the all-time winner’s list.
But what history also shows is that Vettel very much likes, and potentially needs, to be the main man on a team.
When the very likable Danny Ricciardo joined Red Bull and became Vettel’s teammate in 2014, Vettel’s dominance of F1 and Red Bull came to a sudden halt. Mercedes was now the dominant car and team on the grid. Red Bull newcomer Ricciardo was the only other driver to win a race in 2014–apart from the Mercedes pair of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. Ricciardo picked up three race wins in 2014 (in Canada, Hungary, and Belgium), and he finished ahead of Vettel in the Driver’s Championship by 71 points.
The result? Vettel started making mistakes previously unseen from him. He cut a very frustrated figure on the Red Bull team and in the F1 paddock.
Then, towards the end of 2014, it was announced that Vettel would join Ferrari for 2015 to replace the departing Fernando Alonso.
What followed were increasingly improving seasons for Ferrari. Vettel, once again, was the dominant man, picking up race wins and leading a title challenge. Each season, the Ferrari car improved and Vettel got closer to challenging the Mercedes cars in championship battles.
Like in the early Red Bull days, Vettel’s performances were matching the ability he showed as one of the best racing drivers in the world. However, towards the end of 2018–just at a time when many observers thought Ferrari had the best car and could claim their first world titles since 2007 and 2008–pressure was beginning to tell.
There were costly errors and poor performances–most notably at the Hungary qualifying, a crash in the German Grand Prix, a spin while battling Lewis Hamilton in Italy, plus a Singapore Grand Prix weekend that fell well below everyone’s expectations.
It all left Vettel far behind Hamilton in the Driver’s Championship, and the Mercedes driver went on to comfortably claim his 5th World Championship.
Sebastian Vettel, Charles Leclerc, and the SF90 (photo, Scuderia Ferrari)
Now it’s 2019. The aftermath of last weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix suggests that devolution may again be in the cards for Vettel. New teammate Leclerc outperformed Vettel all weekend.
Leclerc overtook and then pulled away into a clear lead during the race. The outcome highlighted Vettel’s struggles. He becomes frustrated and downbeat when challenged and beaten by either a teammate or close rival.
While in an on-track battle with Lewis Hamilton, the Mercedes driver overtook Vettel and left the German spinning and with a damaged car. Vettel ended up finishing 5th, while Hamilton capitalized on Leclerc’s bad luck (turbo failure) to claim the race victory as Leclerc finished 3rd.
While it’s far too early to draw definitive conclusions about this year’s championship, the outcomes at Bahrain suggest that history may be about to repeat itself.
What that could mean for Vettel’s future is anyone’s guess. But most observers speculate that he would not stick around a team if he is not the main man.
