Rosberg identifies cause of Vettel's negative spiral

F1 returns to the Nürburgring after seven years. Former F1 champion Nico Rosberg wonders what happened to the 2013 Eifel GP winner, Sebastian Vettel. The former driver from Wiesbaden sees that his compatriot is in a negative spiral.

SF1000 and Sebastian Vettel is not a good marriage

Rosberg thinks he knows where the negative spiral for the Heppenheimer begins. Rosberg sees that the car, the SF1000, and the driver do not match. Speedweek quotes: "The cars of 2020 are more aerodynamically tense than ever. Again and again we see the rear of the car suddenly break out at different drivers".

"This kind of handling of the car is a blow to a driver's self-confidence. Vettel has always been a driver who has to be able to rely on the back of his car. To go fast, he needs a stable rear axle. If that isn't there, it doesn't fit in with his driving style".

Snowball effect for Vettel

It starts with a small problem and that small problem gets bigger and bigger like an avalanche. Rosberg sees a negative spiral. "Sometimes it's a big mistake like at Hockenheim in 2018 and sometimes it's a small mistake. It all adds up and the more negative experiences, the more it gets into his head".

Rosberg also thinks that Vettel has had a hard mental blow from the rise of his young teammate Charles Leclerc. The German is no longer the centre of the race team. In the transition from Ferrari to Aston Martin, Rosberg sees a lot of advantage.

"It is a great opportunity for Sebastian. He will join a team where he will be the king again. If the car is fast and he can perform again, we will see that the spiral is going to change in a positive direction," concludes Rosberg.