Ferrari's Allison lauds 'miracle worker' Vettel

Ferrari technical director James Allison gave high praise to Sebastian Vettel, stating that the German driver often delivered miracles to render his prancing horse competitive during 2015.

Allison pointed towards the four-time World Champion's merits and outstanding talent as the main ingredient of Ferrari's victories this year.

"We don't have as good a car as the Mercedes, that's obvious, and yet we've won three races," Allison told the BBC. "Sebastian has won all three.

"And the reason that he has won those three and put it on the podium as much as he has is that we ask him to sort of work miracles to put his car in a competitive position, because the car is not yet good enough to be the winning car.

"And he delivers those miracles sort of lap after lap, race after race, weekend after weekend."

Interestingly, Allison acknowledged Vettel's very rare performance lapses as the proof that beneath the supreme ability lies a man who like anyone else can make mistakes.

"Just occasionally, once or twice in a whole year in thousands of laps, you see evidence that there isn't a machine there, there's a human. And that shows the magnificence of the achievement in all the other races."

With comparisons often made between Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel, Allison, who also worked with the seven-time World Champion, believes any parallel is justified.

"Sebastian is one of the unusual characters who is very straightforward and easy. Ego-less is wrong, but his ego is kept in check to be part of the group and team.

"It makes it a) a pleasure and b) it greatly increases the power of the group when the person who has to deliver on Sunday wants to be part of the team."
"I have worked with two guys who really, really understand the value of being in a team and one was Michael and the other is Sebastian.

"That's not to denigrate the others but it's a particular strength in Sebastian and it was a particular strength in Michael."

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