Jacques Villeneuve fears for Sebastian Vettel vs Charles Leclerc

Ferrari

Villeneuve fears for Vettel: 'Everyone wants Leclerc, Leclerc, Leclerc'

Can Seb turn the tide?

Matthew Scott

Friday 4 October 2019 11:15

Jacques Villeneuve says the balance of power at Ferrari has already shifted away from Sebastian Vettel and towards Charles Leclerc.

Leclerc's four consecutive pole positions and victories in Belgium and, particularly, Italy have launched the 21-year-old's star in F1, and especially in the homeland of Ferrari.

His victory at Monza was the Scuderia's first on home soil in nine years, with Vettel having failed to break the drought a year previously when Ferrari once again had the dominant package.

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Villeneuve says the clamour around Leclerc will prove impossible to reverse, and also dismissed the notion that Vettel has struggled this year because he is not suited to the SF90.

"The energy is not right," Villeneuve told Motorsport-Total.com.

"Everyone wants Leclerc, Leclerc, Leclerc, the media, the fans ... and you cannot do anything about that.

"It does not matter how well you drive, you're on the wrong side of the energy, and if it's like this, you're suffering for a while, that's a law in this sport.

"It has nothing to do with the concept of the car. The car was designed with feedback from the drivers who drove before and these were Vettel and [Kimi] Raikkonen - not Leclerc.

"So he [Vettel] has his share in the design of this car."

Villeneuve believes Vettel's slump has been influenced by a hangover effect from his crash out of the lead in last year's German Grand Prix, which began his slide out of title contention.

"Of course, because you make a mistake and you know that you are to blame yourself, which probably changed the entire championship - also psychologically," Villeneuve said.

"The whole media and fans are talking about it, so you feel the pressure, of course, that has an impact."