Andretti: Vettel can put Ferrari back on the path to success
Mario Andretti believes that Sebastian Vettel has the necessary qualities to bring Scuderia Ferrari back to the forefront. He cites the example of Lewis Hamilton, who left McLaren in 2012 for Mercedes.
Sebastian Vettel has what it takes to put Ferrari back on the path to success, according to former F1 world champion Mario Andretti. After a very dull season, Sebastian Vettel is on his way to join Maranello following the confirmed departure of Fernando Alonso by Luca di Montezemolo, even though the arrival of the German is not yet official.
Since 2008, Ferrari has been in search of a world title, and even though Alonso came close by finishing as runner-up in 2010, 2012, and 2013, according to Mario Andretti, Vettel is the man who could restore Maranello’s team to its former glory: Sebastian will do very well, no matter where he goes. He probably needs a new challenge, he must appreciate this new challenge in the right way. I am sure he will be at the top with Ferrari.
« Ferrari is currently somewhat down, but sooner or later, they will return to the forefront. He [Vettel] can’t do worse than what Fernando has done so far. If he’s given a competitive car, he can bring the Prancing Horse back to the forefront, and that would be huge, » explains Andretti for GPUpdate.
For Mario Andretti, this would be an opportunity for Vettel to prove that this season, still without a victory, was due to the new technical regulations: « One could say that Sebastian is a limited driver because he cannot solve his difficulties at the wheel of a car that has less aerodynamic downforce or a different power delivery, and so on. He hasn’t been able to adapt as we might have expected. But he is becoming stronger and stronger, so his brilliant talent will eventually emerge, and he will continue to show what he is capable of. I would never doubt his abilities. Sooner or later, he will silence the critics. »
The former Team Lotus driver also draws a parallel with Lewis Hamilton, who decided to leave McLaren at the end of the 2012 season to join Mercedes: « What was said when Lewis Hamilton left McLaren? He went to Mercedes, which was not very competitive at the time, but it was probably the best decision of his career, so that could still be the case [for Vettel]. »
