Is Vettel Done For?

[Dux]

He is far from done.

 

[Leonardo Chaves]

I hope he can turn it around, i'm not sure he will though.

 

[jacobc62]

May I throw in an alternate option to where Vettel could go?

NASCAR.

Now hear me out..... In the mid 2000's, Juan Pablo Montoya became fed up with something-or-other in F1 and left to drive in NASCAR for Chip Ganassi Racing in 2007, and would go on to win 2 races at NASCAR's top level - once each at Sonoma Raceway and Watkins Glen - and came close to winning a few oval races (namely Indy) had it not been for bad luck.

If Vettel is truly down-and-out about F1, why not try something like that? The only issue would be to try and find a ride in NASCAR.

 

[Emerson Meyer]

4 times Champion... by chance...
A "regular" driver... with 52 victories...

Don´t like the guy, fine... but to put in doubt his talent is foolish.

 

[ZeldaACFan17]

Vettel's first F1 team was Red Bull, but now, if he switches over to that team, he will be paired with Max Verstappen... Replace Verstappen with Brendon Hartley!

 

[Scottt]

He's finished ahead of his teammate every single year of his career except 2014 (including the his partial rookie season). He's finished second in the drivers championship the last two years (with a car that is clearly second best). He's coming off a disastrous race; but still stands just 13 points behind his teammate with 7 races to go; despite his teammate winning the last two races.

I don't think he's done after a somewhat sub-par half a season.

Also, the idea that "Ferrari cannot afford to have such a prestigious driver delivering so little on one of their cars" seems a bit difficult to defend when you consider that they had Raikkonen on their team for their team for 5 year. And who would they even get? Verstappen? Doubtful. Russell? Maybe, but that's a huge risk.

 

[Kimmo Kokkonen]

Vettel is totally out, Ricciarco makes him look stupid a years ago in Red Bull after his 4 gift championships. Kimi helps him and Alonso a lot, now Kimi's gone, Leclerc create his own career and don't care much about Vettel. Alonso and Vettel ruined Kimi's career in Ferrari, that Santander deal and number one driver status makes Vettel looking good against Kimi, but how many times Ferrari team fails with almost everything with Kimi but never with Vettel. Now 2019 Leclerc have almost clean season without any big mistakes by the Ferrari Team, with Kimi they even forget to fill a drinking bottle in the most warm race in season 2018? Oh boy!

 

[Ruy Horta]

I just want to repeat Arschkarte for our Anglo-Saxon friends.

 

[HK2014]

Vettel is totally out, Ricciarco makes him look stupid a years ago in Red Bull after his 4 gift championships.

Gifted championships really ? i am inviting you to watch leaderboards of 2010 and 2012 then tell me this again. i can't understand people saying he was in a dominant car THE WHOLE TIME in redbull.. have you even watched F1 those years ? 2012 and 2010 were one of the best season in modern era, i think there was like 7 differents winners in 2012 ? how is it possible then if redbull was dominant that season ?
if you keep saying Vettel was gifted those championships, then what about Hamilton from 2014-19 ?
can't believe this....

 

[NikiGouda]

Just proves that even though he's a talented driver he can't win races without being in the dominant car like he was with RB, I doubt he will win another championship.

He can't win races without being in the dominant car you said.
Well, the reality tells a different story. Apart from his win 2008 in
Monza in a Toro Rosso he also managed to score "only" 13 wins
in a Ferrari which has been only the 2nd and sometimes even 3rd
strongest car in the grid with the exception of the first few races
in 2018, behind the probably most dominant car of F1 history over
the last 5 years. Vettels Ferrari stats:
Races: 93
Wins: 13
Poles: 11
Fastest Laps: 14
Podiums: 51

Vettel cracks under pressure. The Red Bull cars he became 4 times world champion with were really extremely good. It's a lot easier drive if your car is half a second faster as the rest.

To be honest, i think you could replace "Vettel" with "Hamilton" and
your whole statement still remains (more or less) true. But yeah,
Hamilton LOOKS like he's mentally stronger/ more stable but
throughout his whole career you could see other sides of him
every now and then too, if something didn't go as planned.
Would be interesting to see how he would deal with a car like
the current Ferrari (and Sebastian Vettel in the dominant (high
downforce) Mercedes at the same time).

 

[aphidgod]

I think he just needs a change of scenery, but I don't know if he'll get it. He's still driving as if his car is a big step behind the Merc and he has to get 105% out of it at all times, even now that it's more or less competitive and he might be better served to dial it back a notch and make fewer mistakes.

He held it together for a few years like that - when it was necessary - but he's clearly starting to fray a bit. There's no doubting his ability (unless you're willfully blind) but the mindset needs a reset, and badly.

 

[Filip Carlén]

He'll stay with Ferrari for 2020, then might consider retirement after the 2020-season, depending on his performance during next year. I think he's just given up for this season and just want it to end, to start anew in Melbourne. If he gets a good start there then he might bounce back, but if the bad results continue even during 2020 he's out of F1 as a driver. He might stay and help develop the 2021 car with the new rules and all that.

 

[JoeAMGC63]

Wow, so many Hamilton fans here, or just bitter people in general. He's a 4 TIME WORLD CHAMPION...let that sink in. No one but Seb knows what is going on in his head, so for anyone to make ridiculous assumptions about him being unable to get out of this rut needs a reality check. When was the last time anyone here in the "sim" racing community been at the top of any sport, only to have more pressure on them than anyone else could imagine? Give the man a break. Clearly he has some issues going on. Why not support someone, and hope they bounce back? It's shameful to see this as an ongoing trend..

 

[pcraenme]

One more year at Ferrari and then move to Alfa Romeo in 2021.

 

[Fat-Alfie]

Give the man a break. Clearly he has some issues going on. Why not support someone, and hope they bounce back? It's shameful to see this as an ongoing trend..

You know he doesn't actually read this forum, right?

 

[Dux]

Vettel's first F1 team was Red Bull, but now, if he switches over to that team, he will be paired with Max Verstappen... Replace Verstappen with Brendon Hartley!

His first F1 team was BMW Sauber with whom he won point in his debut when it was 8th point system and first victory with Toro Rosso starting from pole and winning at Monza in 2008. The team you labelled as first, was actually third.

 

[Dennemark]

I'd love to see him go to Williams alongside Chadwick once Frank tells Claire to let the hard-working girl win a seat.
What, this is fantasy booking. Doesn't have to be realistic.

 

[JoeAMGC63]

You know he doesn't actually read this forum, right?

Oh, I bet he does. No matter what he says, he's on social media, he's online, searching his name to see what everyone is saying about him. Other drivers are concerned about their image, why shouldn't he be?

 

[ZeldaACFan17]

I didn't know Vettel's first team was a Sauber. I first saw Vettel on TV in a Red Bull, so that's why I thought his first F1 team was RB.

 

[Sasha Jednak]

I didn't know Vettel's first team was a Sauber. I first saw Vettel on TV in a Red Bull, so that's why I thought his first F1 team was RB.

Just to add a bit more info: he replaced injured Kubica for Indy 2007. Finished 8th, and was then called for last 7 races to drive for Toro Rosso instead of Scot Speed. Gave them their first (and still only) win, then moved to RB for 2009. Where he gave that team their first win.

As for Hartley reference, if they had him for first part of 2019 I think they would be closer to Ferrari in constructors.