Newey: Vettel struggles to resist pressure

Sebastian Vettel now stands at 40 points Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) at 6 Grands Prix at the end of the season. If the Briton's performances are indisputable, the mistakes made by the driver of the Team Ferrari have had a significant impact on the championship.

Adrian Newey, the technical office director at Red Bull, sees Sebastian Vettel as a hard worker but who suffers from his level of involvement within the team. A commitment that is difficult to reconcile with the calm necessary to resist pressure. The British engineer knows the German well having celebrated his 4 world titles with him when the driver defended the interests of the Red Bull.

“Sebastian works really hard and is more critical of himself than anyone else. If he has a weakness, it is that he can make mistakes in the intensity of the moment. On the other hand, he is almost unbeatable if he is in the lead. indicated the British engineer in Bild am Sonntag. »

“People handle pressure differently. At the wheel, he represents not only himself but the entire team. Some drivers like the Finns don't worry about this. But there are others who really feel the weight of the pressure on their shoulders at the end of the season. The more a pilot works, the more pressure he feels. This is especially true for Seb”, added Adrian Newey.

The famous Red Bull engineer now seems pessimistic about Sebastian Vettel's chances of becoming a five-time world champion this season.

“He will need at least one drop from Lewis. Otherwise it will turn out to be damn complicated.”, recognized the Briton.

Discover the analysis of the Singapore GP carried out by our special correspondents in issue 2183 of AUTOhebdo, available now in digital version on all platforms, and on newsstands this Wednesday.