Column

Vettel won't win the 2019 title because he'll be too focused on beating Leclerc

Vettel won't win the 2019 title because he'll be too focused on beating Leclerc

30-11-2018 08:35 Last update: 08:36
5

Sebastian Vettel's real killer next year will be his team-mate, Charles Leclerc. Already, after two days of testing in the same car, we've seen an outpouring of "Leclerc beats Vettel's benchmark time". The German will want to make sure he's not beaten by his almost rookie team-mate.Lewis Hamilton

Imagine the press. Particularly the Italian press. The embarrassment after already having two or three decent attempts at beating Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes. The 31-year-old will have this on his mind. Distracting him from a battle with Mercedes.

Ferrari normally chases after experience and proven ability rather than roll the dice for a newbie. The pressure of this working against Vettel's favour will be intense.

And we know, from experience this season, that Vettel makes mistakes when under pressure. In complete contrast to Hamilton, Vettel ran wide in Hockenheim when it mattered most and had collisions further in the season. But pressure on this level will start from day 1 in Australia.

Can Vettel cope with it?