Sebastian Vettel 2019 F1 driver ratings: Every grand prix reviewed

Sebastian Vettel

Sebastian Vettel 2019 F1 driver ratings: Every grand prix reviewed

How Seb fared in our ratings.

Matthew Scott

Friday 20 December 2019 14:00

Sebastian Vettel 2019 ratings Part 2

French GP (Qual: 7th - Race: 5th) 5/10

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Vettel just didn't seem right all weekend, a weekend which began with the huge distraction of Ferrari's hearing with the FIA over his Canadian GP penalty. The German admitted that qualifying seventh, behind both McLarens, was down to him rather than Ferrari, but his regular suggestions that the Scuderia's upgrade package didn't work show all is not well.

Austrian GP (Qual: 10th - Race: 4th) 7/10

Made excellent progress from ninth on the grid with a brilliant launch undoing some of the damage done by missing Q3 due to a pneumatic issue. Ferrari pitted the German for fresh tyres as Verstappen charged past him, and he ran out of laps before he could catch up with Valtteri Bottas for third place.

British GP (Qual: 6th - Race: 16th) 2/10

Even in a 12-month period of lacklustre displays for Vettel, this may be the all-round worst, and could be the costliest long-term, when compared to Charles Leclerc's. Vettel admitted he simply didn't have the pace in a qualifying session in which Leclerc was less than a tenth off pole and could once again only look at himself after clumsily rear-ending Verstappen, losing a potential podium that had fallen into his lap at the safety car.

German GP (Qual: 20th - Race: 2nd) 9/10

After having a shot at quali taken from his hands, it looked another German GP to forget for Vettel. However, he had made up a handful of places by Turn 1 and was in the points after a few laps. Once the slick tyres were on, Vettel came to life, delighting the Hockenheim crowd with rapid progression to the podium, serving some redemption after last year's DNF. A few more laps and who knows if Verstappen would have been under threat?

Hungarian GP (Qual: 5th - Race: 3rd) 7/10

Vettel delivered another solid performance to back up last weekend's incredible comeback in Hockenheim. Cruising behind Leclerc, Ferrari put the German onto 'Plan C', namely running a chunky opening stint in order to fit softs for a charge at Leclerc in the later laps. Not long after Hamilton had made the winning move on Verstappen, Vettel did likewise on his team-mate. Any joy was tempered slightly by the fact that Ferrari finished over a minute off the pace of the winner.

Belgian GP (Qual: 2nd - Race: 4th) 6/10

Vettel rarely looked comfortable all weekend, qualifying seven tents down on Leclerc and then failing to match last season's race-winning launch from P2 on the grid. Couldn't look after his tyres, which necessitated an extra stop to those around him and left the German off the podium in a race that saw him clock a year without a grand prix victory.

Italian GP (Qual: 4th - Race: 13th) 1/10

An entire weekend full of disappointment for Vettel, whose position as Ferrari team leader looks shaky at best, and extinct at worst. He could be rightly frustrated at the qualifying chaos robbing him of his best chance at pole, but Vettel can only look at himself for the race. Having failed to make an impression at the start, even dropping a place to Nico Hulkenberg's Renault, a downright dangerous re-entry which resulted in contact with Lance Stroll was deservedly punished.