Breaking news
Formula 1
Irvine: "Massively overrated" Vettel a one-trick pony
Ex-Ferrari Formula 1 driver Eddie Irvine has labelled four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel "massively overrated" and a "one-trick pony".
Scott Mitchell
Edited: Jan 23, 2019, 5:51 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Irvine raced for Ferrari from 1996 to 1999 and earned all four of his grand prix victories in his final season with the famous team, taking on the role of its title protagonist after Michael Schumacher suffered a broken leg.
Despite claiming that "I don't watch it [F1] anymore because it bores me", Irvine – who left F1 at the end of the 2002 season after three years with Jaguar – questioned five-time world champion Lewis Hamilton's credentials because of the Briton's "debatable" competition.
Irvine, the 1999 championship runner-up, said Hamilton is "in a different league" to his rivals but "I don't even think he is close to Michael's league" because the likes of Vettel have questionable quality.
Speaking to BBC Northern Ireland, Irvine said: "I think Vettel is good if he is at the front and he doesn't have anybody to race.
"When you watch Lewis race, Lewis is focused on racing and getting ahead.
"You watch Vettel, and when Vettel is racing is someone, he is focused as much on the other guy as he is on where he is going and inevitably crashes into the other guy.
"That happens nearly all the time. I think Vettel is a good driver, but a four-times world champion, I just don't see it.
"I think he is massively overrated, I think he's a one-trick pony. Lewis has a much broader talent."
Irvine said Hamilton was probably a better overtaker than Schumacher but has too many "off days" compared to the likes of seven-time world champion or Ayrton Senna.
"If you look over the two [sic] years Lewis and [Jenson] Button were together [at McLaren], Button actually outscored him over two years," said Irvine. "No one ever did that to Michael.
"Michael's level of performance was consistently higher even though Lewis is an amazingly talented driver.
"When Lewis first came to Formula 1 he was fantastic to watch and his overtaking was second to none. He's probably a better overtaker than Michael.
"But for pace, and consistency over a whole weekend, over a whole year, I don't think anyone touches Michael – even Senna."
Elaborating on why he finds modern F1 "incredibly boring", Irvine said it was "synthetic", "not raw" and "too perfect".
He added: "When you make a mistake you don't pay a price.
"It's just got safer and safer, which is a good thing but it's just gone too far. It's just progress, progress, progress until it's like, 'What have we ended up with here?'.
"And I think we have ended up with something a bit mushy and not that interesting."
Eddie Irvine
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Ricciardo test snub shows Red Bull "afraid" - Renault
Next article Red Bull "€15million poorer” thanks to 2019 F1 rules - Marko
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Scott Mitchell
Alfa Romeo must do better in "chaotic" races - Vasseur
Formula 1
Formula 1
Alfa Romeo must do better in "chaotic" races - Vasseur
Honda: Verstappen relationship 'like a young Senna'
Formula 1
Formula 1
Honda: Verstappen relationship 'like a young Senna'
Key team personnel shouldn't be F1 boss - Ferrari
Formula 1
Formula 1
Key team personnel shouldn't be F1 boss - Ferrari
More from
Sebastian Vettel
Sebastian Vettel gives update on F1 future as he opens up on life after retirement
Formula 1
Formula 1
Azerbaijan GP
Sebastian Vettel gives update on F1 future as he opens up on life after retirement
Sebastian Vettel: F1 must combine “things we love” with sustainable future
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sebastian Vettel: F1 must combine “things we love” with sustainable future
More from
Ferrari
Fred Vasseur reveals two costly moments that denied Ferrari US GP double podium
Formula 1
Formula 1
United States GP
7 h
Fred Vasseur reveals two costly moments that denied Ferrari US GP double podium
Charles Leclerc reacts to Ferrari fear: 'We know what line not to cross'
Formula 1
Formula 1
United States GP
Charles Leclerc reacts to Ferrari fear: 'We know what line not to cross'
Latest news
Manthey acknowledges IMSA to be "tougher than expected" despite two wins
IMSA
IMSA IMSA 7 h
Manthey acknowledges IMSA to be "tougher than expected" despite two wins
How a philosophy shift brought BMW to new heights in 2026
IMSA
IMSA IMSA 7 h
How a philosophy shift brought BMW to new heights in 2026
Fred Vasseur reveals two costly moments that denied Ferrari US GP double podium
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
7 h
Fred Vasseur reveals two costly moments that denied Ferrari US GP double podium
Cleetus McFarland set to compete full-time for 2027 ARCA championship
ARCA
ARCA ARCA 9 h
Cleetus McFarland set to compete full-time for 2027 ARCA championship
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe