British business magnate Bernie Ecclestone, the former chief executive of the Formula One Group before the arrival of Liberty Media, has spoken of the situation of Sebastian Vettel and hopes to see the real Seb again at Aston Martin. Ecclestone admitted he came to believe that 2018 was the year in which Scuderia Ferrari would once again become world champion along with Sebastian Vettel, and strongly believed that this was the year in which the German would fulfill his dream. But they all made mistakes and the dream began to turn into a nightmare. The great love is over and for Bernie it is not clear if it was reciprocated: in his time at Red Bull he saw a Sebastian Vettel loved by everyone in the team, but he considers that this has not been the case at Ferrari.
For Bernie, the story of the four-time German world champion has not come to an end, he believes that he is disoriented, but that he has everything he needs to find his way again with Aston Martin. For Ecclestone it is more than clear that in Formula 1 the driver depends on his car, but the Ferrari did not fit in with Sebastian Vettel:
“I really thought Ferrari would do it this year and I really don’t know where they lost their way, when they lost it and there was no valid reason for this. I don’t know. Sebastian made mistakes, the team made mistakes. On some tracks Mercedes was stronger, but in the end, on average, Ferrari had the best car”- these were the words of Bernie at the end of the 2018 Formula 1 campaign, without a doubt with more emotions than the 2020 season, as far as the title is concerned.
Much has happened since Bernie Ecclestone said those words, but it has always been known that he is a character close to the German driver. After Seb’s departure from Scuderia Ferrari, Bernie Ecclestone adds: “It wasn’t so long ago that Seb was at top of the all-time rankings. Unfortunately, hardly anyone speaks positively of him now. In Formula 1, a driver is still dependent on his car and his Ferrari didn’t seem to fit him. Ferrari has always been a somewhat confusing team, where domestic politics have always played a role. Actually, it was only at the time of Michael Schumacher that everyone was pulling in the same direction. Fortunately, Seb has a new challenge at Aston Martin next year. So I think he will answer the skeptics who no longer believe in his abilities this year. I rushed to speak to Lawrence Stroll. I told him how good he still is and that in the end it would be a win for everyone if the deal went through. I think my arguments helped convince him . At Red Bull, Seb was the team’s darling, something he got used to. He talked to everyone and everyone talked to him, he felt comfortable within that team, I think Ferrari has not been like that. This has affected his focus and concentration. It should not have happened, but Sebastian showed an emotionally sensitive side to his character, which is strange for a German. Vettel must tap into his inner strength, look at things more calmly. He has everything in his power to recover and find himself again. We miss the real Seb!” – Bernie Ecclestone concluded.
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