Vettel as talented as Senna?
In the paddock since the late 1980s, Giorgio Ascanelli has known many drivers and engages in the perilous exercise of intergenerational comparison.
A few days before the seventeenth anniversary of Ayrton Senna’s death, the technical director of Toro Rosso shares his feelings about the person he considers to be the equal of the Brazilian: « I am very lucky. Twice in my life, I have been close to perfection: first with Senna and then with Vettel ».
After two seasons with Benetton alongside Nelson Piquet, Giorgio Ascanelli was recruited by McLaren in 1992 at the request of Gerhard Berger, with whom he had worked at Ferrari (from 1987 to 1989).
During this period, the Italian engineer collaborated with Senna until the latter’s departure to Williams. He was able to attend, among other things, the 1993 Donington Grand Prix, where the Paulista had probably delivered one of the best races of his career.
Back at Ferrari in 1995, he stayed for a few seasons before joining Maserati as head of the competition department. He returned to Formula 1 in the mid-2000s to join Toro Rosso. It was in his capacity as technical director that he supported Sebastian Vettel during the 2007 and 2008 seasons, witnessing the young German’s first victory in the rain at Monza.
Besides this flattering comparison, Giorgio Ascanelli then engages in another analysis: « With Michael [Schumacher], it was different, as we had to work harder to make him succeed than with Senna and Vettel », referring to the early years of the one who would become the « Kaiser » at Scuderia Ferrari.
These statements echo the comments made by the same Ascanelli after Vettel’s championship victory last November: « You never know how many championships a driver can win. To quote Ron Dennis, winning a championship is relatively easy, but being consistently at the top is extremely difficult. I believe Sebastian has the determination to do it. He will be a great competitor, and for a long time. »
Other names in F1 did not hesitate to express their feelings about the Heppenheim native: while Berger sees in Vettel the best driver on the grid, Mika Hakkinen draws attention to the great confidence inspired by the title and the fact that it is no longer a burden on his shoulders, allowing him to focus on the details.
As a reminder, the German driver has 12 wins and 18 poles in 65 Grand Prix contested for three teams: BMW (1 GP), Toro Rosso (1 and a half seasons), and Red Bull (3 seasons).
Ayrton Senna, when he had reached this total, had 7 victories and 19 poles and had also raced for three different teams: Toleman (1 season), Lotus (3 seasons), and McLaren (3 GPs).
