Mark Webber has tipped Ferrari to end Mercedes’ run of six double championships in 2020 but warns it could depend largely on Sebastian Vettel.
The second half of this past Formula 1 season saw the Italian team match and surpass their Brackley-based rivals for a while before dropping back in the final races, potentially as a result of FIA action on engines.
But after admitting going in the wrong direction on chassis design, Ferrari are in a position to address their shortcomings with next year’s car and Webber thinks that, and potentially a stronger line-up than Mercedes, could make the difference in one championship at least.
“At least Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel can score regularly,” he told Formule1.nl.
“For the Constructors’ Championship, Ferrari may look good, although I think Lewis [Hamilton] will still show his superiority in the Drivers’ classification over a whole season.
“I look forward to seeing Hamilton match Michael Schumacher’s seven world titles by 2020 while having to deal with Leclerc and [Max] Verstappen.”
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Much of that, the former Red Bull driver admits, is conditional on how Vettel responds to a difficult year that has seen his lead driver status at Ferrari go and even led to questions over whether he can still compete at the very front in F1.
“I think this is the biggest off-season of Sebastian’s career,” Webber told Channel 4 of his former teammate.
“He’s a winner and a fighter, but a small chink in his armour is that he is not a great listener.
“I think if he needs to seek some advice off people, this is uncharted waters for him because he is coming towards the end of his career, but he needs to seek all the different professional advice that he can from people who might have also been on this journey.
“That way he can understand how to unlock that new phase of passion, energy, that drive to get going.
“He’s got three kids at home now, 22 races coming up next year. I don’t have kids but that will be a real challenge and some of the other guys don’t have that.
“It’s been his worst season [at Ferrari] and he’s got a big, big fight on his hands to come back next year.”