Sebastian Vettel’s ‘radio rant’ in Mexico last year, and more recently his ‘road rage’ moment in Baku, reveal a highly volatile campaigner under that white helmet of his, now former boss Christian Horner has revealed what makes the German tick.
Speaking to the BBC ahead of the British Grand Prix and in the wake of Vettel’s high profile antics during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and his subsequent summons to a meeting with FIA president Jean Todt, Horner said, “Sebastian wears his heart on his sleeve.”
“He is involved in a very intense battle. He sees an opportunity to be champion again this year and he knows he’s going to need everything going his way against Mercedes to achieve that.
“He has zero filter between what he thinks and what he says or does sometimes. That’s the great side of him. But sometimes it gets him in hot water as well.”
Vettel raced for Red Bull from 2009 to 2014 under Horner’s watch, winning four consecutive Formula 1 World Championship titles during that period.
Horner compares Vettel to the German’s hero Michael Schumacher, “Sebastian has this huge desire within him. The records mean a lot to him. Michael Schumacher was very much his idol and I think what you see that bubbles over sometimes is that killer instinct of: I want to win. Sometimes at all costs.”
“It comes across as spoilt but I think you’ve got to put yourself in his scenario, in his shoes. He has lifted Ferrari from where it was to where it is now and he has been a big driver in that.”
However Horner suggests that the high pressure and emotion packed environment at Maranello is not always a good thing, “Ferrari are an emotional team – Latin origins – it probably fuels that emotion. That’s not to say it’s a bad thing. It shows he’s human at the end of the day and shows how hungry he is to achieve that ultimate goal.
“[Ferrari president Sergio] Marchionne has his own style of management. He’s quite a full-on character, quite outspoken. And the demeanour of a team comes from the top. The people who lead the team set the tempo. You can feel Ferrari is a high-pressure place, particularly at this period of time.”
With reference to the moment of madness in Baku, for which Vettel has apologised, Horner was asked if the 10 seconds stop and go penalty coupled to the three black points on the Ferrari driver’s super-licence was sufficient punishment for the deed, he replied, “It’s a difficult one, isn’t it?”
“That’s for the stewards to judge the penalties that were available to them. On the day it could well have been [a black flag]. Other drivers in other formulas have been and there’s the precedent it sets.”
“But they chose the penalty they had. I think what was wrong was then to drag it on. I think it’s important that everybody knows on the day what is the result, what is the punishment for that action.”
Horner also pointed out, “You don’t see as much of his character perhaps in his current environment. He is a fun guy, he loves British humour, he’s very good with the mechanics, the team.”
“He’d turn up here with chocolates for the receptionists and girls around the factory, he was always very generous in terms of not just gifting something to the race team, but to the whole factory. He’d spend hours signing stuff and really investing into the team.”
Looking at the title battle between Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. Horner opined, “Lewis is a bit more of a free spirit. He has a huge amount of natural talent.”
“He probably doesn’t think about his talent or his application is probably different to Sebastian. I have never worked with Lewis so I don’t know but he relies on that natural instinct.
“He jumps in and delivers and he is a bit like an artist. You can see he has mood swings as well. Lewis is very out there, you know, lives the lifestyle that he does.”
“Sebastian is hugely protective and private, he almost enjoys a student-like existence. He is happy with his backpack and wants to keep family life very private and not let anyone know what he’s doing away from the race track,” explained Horner.
Read the full story at GRAND PRIX 247
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