Daniel Ricciardo has faith that former Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel can rebound from his current slump.
The four-time world champion is in a tough spot having seen his Ferrari partner Charles Leclerc win the past two races, the last one at Monza coming as Vettel himself spun out of contention due to another critical mistake.
Comparisons have often been made between the German’s situation now and that alongside Ricciardo five years ago at Red Bull, and, showing his confidence in Seb, the Australian noted how he soon recovered from that tricky year.
“Yeah, I think he absolutely [can rebound],” he told reporters on Thursday. “[I’m] probably a decent one to answer for it because he is in times, in a similar position to maybe where he was in 2014 and he bounced back.
“I think the second race in 2015 he won in Malaysia if memory serves, so he has the ability to bounce back, and all it will take is one race.”
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Ricciardo said that the crucial moment came in Canada, when a confidence-boosting victory was taken away by a controversial penalty.
But having won four times before in Singapore, the 30-year-old suggested a strong result this weekend could be all Vettel needs.
“In the past, he’s always been strong here in Singapore, so this could be the weekend for him that he does turn it around,” he stated.
“Obviously there’s a lot of things to deal with in this sport, especially when you’re at the top. It’s not just talent anymore, it’s pressure, it’s headspace, where you’re at in your personal life and all this.
“You don’t lose your talent, so can he still drive very fast? Absolutely, and I think he’s just waiting for that weekend to put it together and get himself back.
“It could very well happen this weekend.”
And Vettel too acknowledged his love for the Marina Bay circuit and hopes Ferrari’s upgrades can seem them be more competitive.
“I look forward to it, I think it’s a kind of love-hate relationship because it’s the toughest race of the season, it’s the longest race that we have and physically one of the most challenging,” he said.
“I love this track. I think it’s a challenge so we will see. I said before that on paper it is maybe not the best one for us but we’re not racing on paper.
“The last time we had maximum downforce on the car was Hungary, so hopefully it [the upgrade] will be a clear step forward. If you trust the car around here then it’s crucial to extract [the performance].
“But yeah, I feel ready, I feel excited. I like coming here, it’s a special race and it looks spectacular outside the car but also in it.”
