Breaking news

Formula 1

Ferrari should've done more to help "too human" Vettel

Ex-Ferrari Formula 1 test driver Luciano Burti believes his former team did not do enough to ease the pressure on Sebastian Vettel during the 2018 season.

Edd Straw

Edd Straw

Edited: Jan 1, 2019, 10:07 AM

Copy link

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share on WhatsApp

Share on Linkedin

Share on Pinterest

Share on Viber

Add as a preferred source

After crashing out, Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, talks to Maurizio Arrivabene, Team Principal, Ferrari, and Jock Clear, Engineering Director, Ferrari

Vettel's 2018 title challenge gradually unravelled after he slid off track and into the wall while leading the German Grand Prix.

In an interview in an upcoming episode of The Autosport Podcast, Burti – who commentates on F1 for Brazilian broadcaster TV Globo – suggested former Ferrari team principal Jean Todt would have helped Vettel avoid compounding the error with further mistakes in the second half of the season.

“It was a really tiny mistake, which happens, and he was unlucky it happened in the wrong time and the wrong place and had a big consequence,” Burti told Motorsport.com.

“From then on, I really think that someone like Jean Todt would give him good feedback.

“I think Vettel felt maybe on his own to fight back from his mistake.

“Once you have that pressure, if you say as a racing driver ‘I cannot make a mistake on the next lap or the next corner’, you make a mistake. Once I think about it, that’s it.

“I think that’s what happened to him. Although he’s a great champion, he’s too human and when you have those feelings it doesn’t do you any good.

“He was on his own and someone like Jean would have made the difference to put him back on track, because it’s not normal to see a four-times champion to make so many mistakes, and silly mistakes sometimes.”

Burti, who raced in Formula 1 for Jaguar and Prost, tested for Ferrari from 2002-2004 during Todt’s stint at its helm.

He suggests Ferrari’s leadership in recent years has not been as effective under current team principal Maurizio Arrivabene as it was during its run of success in the early years of the 21st century.

“Maybe Ferrari lost a little bit the leadership that Jean used to give,” said Burti.

“I worked with Stefano Domenicali he was a really good guy, I don’t know what the team was when he was team principal [from 2008-2014] but after he left Ferrari never got the rhythm that it used to.

“I know a little bit about Arrivabene when I was there because he was with Philip Morris and he wasn’t, in my view, a good leader because he was not sympathetic, he was always very distant from us and I never got the understanding why."

Maurizio Arrivabene, Ferrari Team Principal

Maurizio Arrivabene, Ferrari Team Principal

Photo by: Jean Petin / Sutton Images

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 Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share on WhatsApp

Share on Linkedin

Share on Pinterest

Share on Viber

Previous article Top Stories of 2018, #1: F1 grid undergoes historic reshuffle

Next article Happiness key to Hamilton's form, says Wolff

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

View More & Comment

More from

Edd Straw



How the Senna myth has been transformed

Formula 1

Formula 1

How the Senna myth has been transformed



Archive: When the French GP almost produced F1's greatest shock

Formula 1

Formula 1

Archive: When the French GP almost produced F1's greatest shock



The lost F1 team that launched Adrian Newey

Formula 1

Formula 1

The lost F1 team that launched Adrian Newey

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



The deeper meaning of Vettel’s emotional Schumacher demo run at Monza

Formula 1

Italian GP

The deeper meaning of Vettel’s emotional Schumacher demo run at Monza

More from

Ferrari



The mistakes that cost Lewis Hamilton a podium at F1’s US GP

Formula 1

Formula 1

United States GP

13 h

The mistakes that cost Lewis Hamilton a podium at F1’s US GP



Fred Vasseur reveals two costly moments that denied Ferrari US GP double podium

Formula 1

Formula 1

United States GP

Fred Vasseur reveals two costly moments that denied Ferrari US GP double podium



What we learned from Friday practice at the 2026 United States GP

Formula 1

United States GP

What we learned from Friday practice at the 2026 United States GP

Latest news



NASCAR warned nearly the full field at Talladega for minimum speed violations

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup

Talladega II

2 h

NASCAR warned nearly the full field at Talladega for minimum speed violations



Carson Hocevar credits tow truck driver for saving his race at Talladega

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup

Talladega II

6 h

Carson Hocevar credits tow truck driver for saving his race at Talladega



Brad Keselowski to address questions about NASCAR future and RFK exit at Martinsville

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup

Martinsville II

7 h

Brad Keselowski to address questions about NASCAR future and RFK exit at Martinsville



Hamlin says Chevy teams 'suck at the teat' of Hendrick on superspeedways

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup

Talladega II

10 h

Hamlin says Chevy teams 'suck at the teat' of Hendrick on superspeedways

Feature

Discover prime content



The one aspect of the 2026 US GP that should be a blueprint for F1 2027

Formula 1

United States GP

By Jake Boxall-Legge

The one aspect of the 2026 US GP that should be a blueprint for F1 2027



A strategic masterclass: How Kimi Antonelli put himself on the cusp of F1 title at the US GP

Formula 1

United States GP

By Jake Boxall-Legge

A strategic masterclass: How Kimi Antonelli put himself on the cusp of F1 title at the US GP



How Verstappen and Antonelli were both “surprised” in United States GP qualifying

Formula 1

United States GP

By Stuart Codling

How Verstappen and Antonelli were both “surprised” in United States GP qualifying



What we learned from Friday practice at the 2026 United States GP

Formula 1

United States GP

By Jake Boxall-Legge

What we learned from Friday practice at the 2026 United States GP

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:

Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here

Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page

Manage Alerts

Subscribe