P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Sebastian Vettel has claimed that Ferrari’s competitive decline during his latter seasons with the team in F1 helped Charles Leclerc gain the upper hand.
Sebastian Vettel has suggested that Ferrari’s decline during his last seasons in Formula 1 enhanced Charles Leclerc’s performance. Leclerc outscored Vettel in 2019 despite the team’s struggles.
Ferrari’s anticipated strong start in the 2019 season was overshadowed by Mercedes’ dominant performance, leading to doubts about Ferrari’s future prospects.
With the team’s competitiveness faltering in 2020, Vettel had a challenging season, while Leclerc continued to excel, leading to Ferrari’s decision to part ways with Vettel.
Vettel acknowledged that he was past his peak years when Leclerc joined Ferrari, reflecting on his career evolution and the impact of Leclerc’s energy and enthusiasm.
The challenging circumstances of 2020 during the pandemic also played a role in Vettel’s realization that his competitive drive was no longer at its peak.
