Sebastian Vettel: Ferrari pressure getting to former Red Bull man- Christian Horner

Sebastian Vettel

Ferrari pressure getting to Vettel - Horner

His old boss doesn't recognise the same driver.

Matthew Scott

Sunday 23 June 2019 11:25

Sebastian Vettel's new-found error-prone nature may be impacted by the "pressure-cooker environment" at Ferrari, according to his former boss Christian Horner. The Red Bull team principal says Vettel's issues are unrecognisable from his title-laden time with his former employers.

Vettel's 2018 title challenge fizzled out amid a string of on-track errors, perhaps sparked by his spin off the circuit and into the gravel at the German Grand Prix which cost him a win and handed the championship lead to Lewis Hamilton.

Further errors have come in 2019, as Ferrari have struggled to keep pace with Mercedes, and his mistake while leading in Canada would have consequences as he was ultimately penalised for his return to the track, which saw his win handed to Hamilton once again.

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Such an error seem alien from his Red Bull days, which were often characterised by dominant wins from pole position, something not lost on Horner.

Horner told PA Sport: "With us, Sebastian was like a metronome when he was in the lead of a grand prix. He was always so strong in that position.

"He obviously looks a lot more under pressure these days as he is carrying the hopes of Ferrari in what looks like a pressure-cooker environment.

"To get the best out of people, you have got to deliver the right environment for them – that is so important."

Vettel joked before the French Grand Prix that retiring might be his best way of avoiding future issues, but has made more serious suggestions that he may not have long left in F1, having grown disillusioned with much of the sport's modern era.

"Sebastian is very much his own man," Horner said. "He is a fan of the history of the sport, and like anybody, when you enjoy what you are doing, you do it that much better.

"Certainly the years that we had at Red Bull were always a lot of fun. Even when we were competing hard against formidable rivals there was always a fun factor to it."