Sebastian Vettel was Never Good at an F1 Street Fight: Martin Brundle

Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel has come under the scanner a lot during his career, and most of it has to do with his driving. 2019 was a forgettable season for him as he was soundly beaten by new teammate Charles Leclerc. To make matters worse, he ended the year in fifth place in the Drivers’ Championship.

At this point, any other team principal would have benched Vettel at the drop of a hat because of his poor form. However, former F1 driver Martin Brundle thinks that the German driver still has a few tricks left even though he is not in the best of forms.

The numbers are not looking so hot for Sebastian Vettel, with one win at the 2019 Singapore Grand Prix and eight podiums. Some still claim that he won under controversial circumstances, namely a well-timed undercut which Ferrari later claimed was needed to boost his confidence.

According to Brundle, the four-time World Champion is past his prime but he still possesses some qualities that make him a formidable opponent. However, he also highlighted what he feels is Vettel’s Achilles heel, which is wheel-to-wheel racing, and some of the proof is undeniable.

“His judgment in wheel-to-wheel fighting has always not been his strong point,” Brundle mused in a Collecting Cars podcast.

“It is becoming more apparent as he gets older. He still has the speed. His qualifying rounds are still great. I would certainly not exchange him for just anyone else, but it is clear that his best years are behind him, right?

Is Sebastian Vettel Really Bad at Wheel-to-Wheel Racing?

Some of the above examples include the 2010 Turkish Grand Prix when Vettel committed the cardinal sin of colliding with a teammate. Then, in 2019 itself, there were two incidents, namely at the Italian Grand Prix, where he spun on his own and collided with Lance Stroll in his haste to rejoin. However, what could have been the straw that broke the camel’s back, was the Brazilian GP clash with teammate Charles Leclerc.