F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Coulthard: Ferrari support for Vettel insufficient

Former F1 driver and Channel 4 pundit David Coulthard believes Ferrari failed to provide Sebastian Vettel with the same amount of support enjoyed by Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.

Hamilton secured his fifth world title in Mexico last weekend after a string of results had left Vettel in the Brit's dust.

In the eyes of Coulthard, Ferrari was nowhere near Mercedes in terms of offering its driver the adequate level of support during a hard-fought campaign in which many believe it had the upper hand in terms of car superiority.

"I just get a feeling that the team haven't supported Vettel in the same way that Lewis has been supported," Coulthard told Sportsmail.

"I think that even though Valtteri has been given a fair crack of the whip, the general feeling at Mercedes is that Lewis is the man.

"If push comes to shove, he's the one who's going to win more races and challenge for the championship.

"What [Ferrari] did at Monza, allowing Kimi to get pole, and then Vettel ending up running second into the second chicane, and that gives Hamilton a go...things like that put them on the back foot."

And the 13-time Grand Prix winner also underlined Ferrari's weakness in the strategy department.

"They can't deny that certain strategic decisions have played against Vettel," said the Scot.

"A combination of that and just generally some unfortunate and unforced errors on his part."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Michael Delaney

Recent Posts

F1 drivers squeeze in tradition before Abu Dhabi epic

On the eve of Formula 1’s thrilling 2025 title decider in Abu Dhabi, the entire…

39 mins ago

Hamilton won't miss current F1 cars - but fears 2026 'might be worse'

As Formula 1 prepares to wave goodbye to its current rule set in Abu Dhabi,…

2 hours ago

F1 drivers rally around Antonelli after abuse from ‘scum of the earth’

On the eve of Formula 1’s season finale in Abu Dhabi, drivers set aside championship…

3 hours ago

Abu Dhabi GP: Thursday's media day in pictures

Formula 1's 2025 season hurtles toward its dramatic close this weekend in Yas Marina, with…

16 hours ago

Verstappen: Let McLaren play games – 'all that matters is the trophy'

In a title showdown charged with tension, numbers, and a hint of intra-team intrigue, Max…

17 hours ago

Leclerc says Ferrari early pivot to 2026 ‘a no-brainer’

Charles Leclerc isn’t sugarcoating Ferrari’s struggles this season – but he also isn’t second-guessing the…

18 hours ago