Ferrari are better technically than Mercedes, says Fittipaldi

Formula 1 legend Emerson Fittipaldi has been discussing Sebastian Vettel's chances of winning the driver's championship ahead of Lewis Hamilton this season, and believes that Ferrari 'technically have a better car than Mercedes' but that Vettel is currently 'being too aggressive'.

The German faced some criticism in the wake of the French Grand Prix after a serious collision with Valtteri Bottas on the opening lap put both drivers at the back of the grid, while on the same lap Vettel also had altercations with Fernando Alonso and Romain Grosjean.

Vettel were able to fight back through the grid and finish in fifth position, but members of the Mercedes team, including Niki Lauda and Lewis Hamilton, were critical of Vettel's actions and also of the FIA for handing him just a five-second time penalty for his errors.

Fittipaldi, speaking to Sportsweek, said that in order to ensure that he is in pole position at the end of the season, Vettel needs to improve his performance in a car that he believes to be the best on the grid.

He said: "If you want to become world champion, you have to deliver constant performance. to go, to stay physically and mentally on level.

"This season, Ferrari has technically a better car than Mercedes, so there are chances for the title, but in France I saw a nervous race from Vettel and he was too aggressive when he attacked Bottas."

Fittipaldi was also positive about the excitement available to the fans this season and reserved particularly praise for Red Bull.

He added: "The season is very balanced, we see strong performances from the drivers, such as Daniel Ricciardo, a great driver for Red Bull Racing. Max Verstappen is still very young and aggressive.

"I hope we see even more races where it's all in balance."