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From GMM
Some say reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel is only winning because he drives the fastest car. But 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, once a fierce critic of Vettel's, disagrees.
"Whoever says that the car is better than Vettel needs to look at how he has destroyed Mark Webber, year after year," Villeneuve told Bild am Sonntag newspaper.
Even Red Bull's own Dr Helmut Marko would agree with that.
"We give both drivers the same car," he insisted. "But how often has Mark won against Vettel?" he asked rhetorically.
That could be the cause of Vettel's image problem: he now beats the retiring Australian veteran Webber consistently. Is that enough to be considered great at the wheel of an Adrian Newey-penned car?
"Lots of guys win in Adrian Newey's cars ... big deal. Adrian's the real genius. There's Schumacher, there's Senna, there's Newey," the former Ferrari driver Eddie Irvine recently told British broadcaster Sky.
Nico Rosberg would agree that the 'Newey' and 'Webber' factors do not help how people perceive Vettel's achievements.
"For sure it would help his perception if he had - and nothing against Mark who is a fantastic driver and a great person - if he had a Fernando-calibre driver next to him," he told the Telegraph.
Another German, Nico Hulkenberg, agrees: "I think if he had a Kimi next to him, or Fernando at Ferrari, and still came out on top then it's fair to say he would be regarded even more highly."
Some say reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel is only winning because he drives the fastest car. But 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, once a fierce critic of Vettel's, disagrees.
"Whoever says that the car is better than Vettel needs to look at how he has destroyed Mark Webber, year after year," Villeneuve told Bild am Sonntag newspaper.
Even Red Bull's own Dr Helmut Marko would agree with that.
"We give both drivers the same car," he insisted. "But how often has Mark won against Vettel?" he asked rhetorically.
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| Sebastian Vettel has just won his fifth race on the trot (Photo: WRi2) |
That could be the cause of Vettel's image problem: he now beats the retiring Australian veteran Webber consistently. Is that enough to be considered great at the wheel of an Adrian Newey-penned car?
"Lots of guys win in Adrian Newey's cars ... big deal. Adrian's the real genius. There's Schumacher, there's Senna, there's Newey," the former Ferrari driver Eddie Irvine recently told British broadcaster Sky.
Nico Rosberg would agree that the 'Newey' and 'Webber' factors do not help how people perceive Vettel's achievements.
"For sure it would help his perception if he had - and nothing against Mark who is a fantastic driver and a great person - if he had a Fernando-calibre driver next to him," he told the Telegraph.
Another German, Nico Hulkenberg, agrees: "I think if he had a Kimi next to him, or Fernando at Ferrari, and still came out on top then it's fair to say he would be regarded even more highly."