Vettel "was on his own" in title fight

Sebastian Vettel gave it a good go in 2018, but bad luck, mistakes and Lewis Hamilton’s inspired form conspired against him as he was resigned to second place in the drivers’ standings once again.

Vettel’s downfall began with a horrible mistake at the German Grand Prix, when he crashed tamely out of the lead in changeable conditions, handing Hamilton the win and the initiative in the title race.

Former F1 driver and Ferrari test driver Luciano Burti believes that he wasn’t supported enough by his team after the crash.

Burti told Motorsport.com: “It was a really tiny mistake, which happens, and he was unlucky it happened in the wrong time and the wrong place and had a big consequence.

“From then on, I really think that someone like Jean Todt would give him good feedback.

“I think Vettel felt maybe on his own to fight back from his mistake.

“Once you have that pressure, if you say as a racing driver ‘I cannot make a mistake on the next lap or the next corner’, you make a mistake. Once I think about it, that’s it.

“I think that’s what happened to him. Although he’s a great champion, he’s too human and when you have those feelings it doesn’t do you any good.

“He was on his own and someone like Jean would have made the difference to put him back on track, because it’s not normal to see a four-times champion to make so many mistakes, and silly mistakes sometimes.”