Sebastian Vettel finally saw an end to his early season woes with a solid performance at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The 4-time World Champion took to the track with only a solitary point from the first two races. However, by the time he crossed the checkered flag he had added another 8 to his tally.
While a P6 finish isn’t in any way a mind-boggling result, it was an important one for Vettel. The German wasn’t having the greatest of years, being prematurely axed by Ferrari for 2021, and then being given a car that would have left Enzo Ferrari turning in his grave.
So this result would have brought Vettel some much-needed relief, something that former Ferrari driver, Gerhard Berger, agrees with.
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Gerhard Berger suggests that Sebastian Vettel would finish second to Lewis Hamilton were he driving for Racing Point
The ex-Ferrari man was in conversation with F1-Insider.com. Berger thinks that Vettel’s mind is now at ease and is eager to prove his doubters wrong.
He said, “Sebastian seems to be completely free in his head again as if he wanted to prove to Ferrari that they made a huge mistake by not renewing his contract.”
Berger also opines that Ferrari’s poor car is a boon for Vettel, “In addition, with this bad car, he no longer has the pressure to win at all costs. In Hungary, he was back to his old self again. Leclerc didn’t have any small chance.”
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The Austrian further went on to say that if Vettel were in the cockpit of Racing Point’s RP20, he would already have been second on the leaderboard.
Berger said, “Nothing against Racing Point drivers Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll. But Sebastian Vettel would be [a] runner-up already this season in the second hand Mercedes.”
Well, reportedly, Vettel may just quite possibly be in the cockpit of a Racing Point by next season. The German is touted to replace Sergio Perez as Racing Point transforms into Aston Martin for 2021.
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Nevertheless, Vettel still has a job to do at Ferrari. This season, fans may not see him on the podium too often, but he’ll be in the thick of the midfield battle once more, as racing action resumes in 10 days’ time at Silverstone.