The Vettel crisis: What worked for Schumacher doesn't work

In his first year as world champion for Ferrari, Michael Schumacher achieved five wins in the first eight races of the season. After the first eight races of the season, Michael Schumacher led the rankings with David Coulthard and Mika Häkkinen in the McLaren-Mercedes with a lead of 22 and 24 points - at that time, among other things, there were only 10 instead of 25 points for a win. In 2000, in his fifth year at Scuderia, Michael Schumacher headed towards his first triumph with the traditional brand. Sebastian Vettel can only dream of it.

Little is now what it was then, except that the Ferrari is still red. Sometimes you need something new in life, said Vettel when he left Red Bull. The year without a win (2014) also had an impact on Vettel. The German has never necessarily been a good loser. His contract with Red Bull would actually have been valid for another year until the end of 2015. But Vettel had a kind of exit clause. He used it - six months after he bought a car from the luxury blacksmith in Maranello.

Sebastian Vettel and his Ferrari team have not achieved lasting success for years. © APA/afp / GERARD JULIEN

With a rare selfie, Vettel ushered in the new time, which was to become an era. In retrospect, the white coats over the red team clothing and the laboratory atmosphere almost have an experimental aftertaste. Because the hoped-for mission is still more of a long-term experiment. Vettel replaced Fernando Alonso at the time and said on November 20, 2014, when the move was finally confirmed: “For me, this is a long childhood dream coming true.”

Vettel never made a big secret of his crush on Ferrari. “Even as a little boy, Michael Schumacher was my biggest idol in his red car, and the fact that I will one day have the chance to drive a Ferrari is an incredibly great honor,” said Vettel. The eyes sparkled: “I don’t have to emphasize how magical Ferrari is and what radiance it has.” Team bosses come and go, but success remains elusive The fascination for the history of the Scuderia remains, but the present and the recent past are nothing but disillusionment. Vettel achieved 13 victories for Ferrari – in 88 races. He wasn't able to seriously compete for the World Cup until the end. After the upheaval with Vettel's change, Ferrari tried again with a personnel change before this season: Mattia Binotto replaced Maurizio Arrivabene as team boss. In terms of the results, it didn't help at all. Mercedes has won all races so far this year. During Schumacher's time, team boss Jean Todt (now FIA president) and technical director Ross Brawn (now one of the Formula 1 directors) were irrefutable - as co-guarantors of success.

Mistakes, breakdowns – Scuderia's list of defects in recent months and years could be shorter. In the fight against the near-perfectionists from Mercedes with five-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, it would have to be empty. Vettel himself is not free from guilt. The former carefreeness, but still the highest level of reliability - both have become rarer. “He always thinks he’s right.” Nico Rosberg His compatriot Nico Rosberg, who defeated Hamilton in the title fight in 2016 and then ended his career, recently criticized Vettel: “He always thinks he is right and always wants to blame the others.” The reason was Vettel's reactions after the denied victory in Montreal by the decision of the race stewards.

Vettel is now traveling to Austria with Ferrari. And he should do better than Schumacher did in 2000 in his first title year for Ferrari on the Spielberg circuit: the later seven-time world champion retired after the first corner.

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The Vettel crisis: What worked for Schumacher doesn't work

When Sebastian Vettel announced his move to Ferrari in November 2014, everything seemed wonderful - both for the multiple world champion from Germany and for the Scuderia. Four and a half years later there is pure sadness on both sides.

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