Schumacher’s confidante gives an insight into Vettel’s war of the roses with Ferrari
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“It’s hard to watch Sebastian and Ferrari just pretending,” says Ross Brawn (right) about Vettel
Quelle: pa/Hasan Bratic
Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari emphasize that their relationship is intact. However, much of the evidence speaks a different language. Long-time team boss Ross Brawn compares the situation with a failed marriage in its final stages.
Formel-1 sports director Ross Brawn regrets the cooling of the relationship between Ferrari and star driver Sebastian Vettel. “You are in the divorce phase when the applications have already been filed but the divorce is not yet through. That’s pretty uncomfortable, ”wrote the Briton on Monday in his column on the racing series’ website.
Vettel has to leave Ferrari involuntarily at the end of the season after his contract expires. The rift between the Scuderia and the 33-year-old had recently come to light several times.
“It’s hard to watch Sebastian and Ferrari just pretend when both sides know the end of their relationship is very near,” said Brawn. The former team boss, long-time companion and confidante of Michael Schumacher pointed out how important the chemistry between driver and racing team is. “When a driver is told that he is no longer needed, it is one of the most difficult phases for a team,” explained the 65-year-old, who has been the racing series’s sports director since 2017.
If a driver knew that he was no longer wanted, the cracks would quickly become visible. “It’s up to the team to manage it as best it can. From my painful experience, I know that drivers are not easy in this situation, ”said Brawn.
“Sorry, Ferrari, that doesn’t work”
Most recently, when Vettel’s drive to seventh place in the race in Barcelona on the pit radio, there was again a scornful reaction from the Hessian after a tactical mishap on his team. When he asked whether the tires would still hold up, he got no answer. A few laps later, however, the counter-question with the same content.
“Sorry, Ferrari, that doesn’t work at all. A team that is fighting for the World Cup that doesn’t even manage to communicate properly, “commented the former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher, an expert on the pay-TV channel Sky.
Vettel was – as with other communication glitches such as a 17-second silence – this time again publicly loyal. The audience didn’t get the big picture, said the 33-year-old. Team boss Mattia Binotto said: “Asking something does not mean not understanding something.”
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