Source: Ferrari Media

F1 News

Wolff defends Vettel over unfair criticism

Wolff defends Vettel over "unfair" criticism

09-09-2018 11:00
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Bobby Vincent

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff defends Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel following the criticism he faced after the race at Monza last weekend...

This season it seems that the German has the best car on the grid, yet he trails Lewis Hamilton by 30 points in the battle for the world championship.

Vettel and Hamilton came together during the first lap of the Italian Grand Prix, and it resulted in Vettel spinning out, forcing him way down the grid but a solid recovery drive from the Ferrari man, ensured fourth place.

Many have criticised Vettel and blamed him for throwing away another big opportunity because of a personal mistake, but Wolff does not blame Vettel at all.

"I'm not completely neutral, but for me Lewis is the best driver of recent years," Wolff told Die Welt newspaper. "Even so, I find the criticism of Sebastian not quite far. 

"If possible to win, he has the ambition to do it with the necessary aggression. That requires a lot of courage and his way of driving sometimes leads to collisions. But let's not forget that he won four world championships. 

"As I do with Lewis, you have to accept that."

Wolff explained that it could easily have been the other way round with the two driver's collision last weekend and stresses how much luck plays a part in the sport.

"It could easily have been Lewis instead of Sebastian who spun, then the whole Grand Prix would have been different," the German added. "In the high tech world of Formula One, everything is not decided linearly and rationally, but also with luck, misfortune and coincedence."