Despite Baku F1 Heroics, Berger Explains Why Sebastian Vettel is Past His ‘Zenith’

Sebastian Vettel had a poor last season at Ferrari, that saw the finish in thirteenth place with just 33 points in the driver’s standings. When he joined Aston Martin for 2021, it took some time for things to take off. And it did arrive as his best finish yet was at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix where he came P2.

However, former F1 driver Gerhard Berger feels that the four-time world champion has passed his prime and is slowly heading for decline. He further states that Vettel isn’t taking risks like he used to and playing it safe.

Berger feels that Sebastian Vettel isn’t the driver he once was

In an interview with Sport1.de, Berger said, “More and more often, he demands that a car must match his driving style. This shows that he is already above his zenith in terms of speed and willingness to take risks.”

“With his rucksack of experience, he can still have three or four good years. In any case, I know how it was for me: I had my driving peak between 27 and 30. After that, things slowly went downhill,” he concluded. (Translated from German via Google)

Watch Story: From Will Smith to Nicole Kidman: When F1 & Hollywood collide

What more did the Austrian driver say about Vettel?

In his new chapter with the Silverstone-based outfit, Vettel did have a rough patch in the beginning but found himself in Monte Carlo. At the Monaco GP, Vettel came home fifth and later in Baku came home second, giving Aston Martin their first podium of the season. Although Berger feels that Vettel has lost his old self, he still acknowledges his abilities as a four-time F1 champion.

He said, “Monaco was also good. Sebastian has always had problems being fully motivated when he had to drive around in midfield. If he can drive up front, he will eat blood, make no more mistakes and perform at full capacity.”

“But I have to say one thing: he is a four-time world champion, has 120 podium positions – he is one of the best drivers of all time. You forget that very quickly. In my opinion, purely in terms of performance, it is still above its zenith. But who knows, there might still be something going on this season,” he explained.

The next race of the season takes us to France. Can the 33-year-old prove his doubters wrong and achieve another great result at Paul Ricard? We are a week away from race day to find out. But what do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

Read More: F1 Throwback: Vettel Nothing Short Of Amazed After His First-Ever Test With BMW Sauber in 2006