When Sebastian Vettel marched his way into Aston Martin after a shabby end to his Ferrari campaign, there were mixed opinions over the German’s future in F1. While a few reckoned Vettel was still one of the fastest drivers on the grid, many felt he was already past the peak of his career.
And at the very beginning of the 2021 season, it almost looked like Vettel’s peak was indeed over amidst poor on-track results. However, as the season progressed, there were signs of a potential resurgence of the 4-time world champion, thanks to the podium(s) in Baku and Hungary.
Unfortunately, Martin Brundle is starting to fear that Vettel is gradually rounding back to square one. The Sky expert opined that Vettel’s performance is on the decline and he is no longer one of the best drivers on the grid.
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Sebastian Vettel not in the top 5?
As reported by Motorsport-Total, Brundle admitted that he wouldn’t place Vettel in the top 5 drivers of the current grid. Reason? Well, he simply pointed out that Vettel’s dream run is pretty much over.
“If you were to nominate the top 5 in the current field, then I don’t think you would include Seb. His best time is behind him,” Brundle said.
Instead, Brundle’s first choices were Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. “Then maybe Lando and Charles Leclerc. Maybe George. Or Sergio. Maybe Carlos Sainz. Or Fernando. Fernando should definitely be included! But no matter how you twist and turn it: Seb is not one of them” the Briton reckoned.
Vettel still has the experience and knowledge: Brundle
The former F1 driver opened up that, despite lacking the on-track aggression, the knowledge and experience of Vettel is playing a vital role in Aston Martin.
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“He still has the experience and the knowledge, and that is very helpful for Aston Martin,” he said. “Sometimes he misses something in the wheel-to-wheel duel. It was always a bit like that, but it has increased in the past few years, one has to say. On the other hand, there are races like Hungary where he sees the chance and has full there is.”
Overall, this seems to be the painful truth. Vettel doesn’t seem like he is capable of turning back the clock to his Red Bull years. Nevertheless, the German very much remains one of the most-loved racing drivers on the current grid.
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So, let’s hear it from you – would you wish to see Vettel retire from F1 after 2022?
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