Vettel mistakes 'atypical' of a four-time world champion

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Nico Rosberg has urged Sebastian Vettel to find a way out of his negative spiral, insisting the Aston Martin driver's recent mistakes were "atypical" of a four-time world champion.

Vettel's move from Ferrari to Lawrence Stroll's team is heralded as a turnaround story for the German driver after a prolonged period of underperformance at the Scuderia.

But Vettel's adaptation to Aston Martin's AMR21 has proven challenging, although it's an adjustment that was not unexpected.

By his own admittance, the 53-time Grand Prix winner just isn't comfortable yet with his car, a fact validated by a dismal first weekend with his team in Bahrain that started with a failure to exit Q1 and a grid penalty, mishaps that were followed on race day by a clumsy run-in with Alpine's Esteban Ocon that earned Vettel another visit to the stewards' office and more penalty points on his licence.

Rosberg says his countryman is already in urgent need of a good result, which the 2016 F1 world champion hopes is around the corner.

"I really wish it to Sebastian, that he comes out of this low, what he brought with Ferrari and now a little bit to the first race," Rosberg told Sky Germany.

"Funnily enough, it surprised me that he also says that he still doesn’t feel comfortable in the car.

"But okay, it’s a new team and he needs a little time. But Sebastian has huge talent, this is a four-time World Champion, so he’ll be fine and I’m sure we’ll see some great races from him this year."

Read also: Ralf Schumacher tells Vettel to 'stop whining' and have fun

A puzzled Rosberg admitted to being surprised by Vettel's successive blunders in Bahrain which were simply uncharacteristic of a driver of his status and caliber.

"He has to find a way out of this negative spiral, that’s very, very important," Rosberg added. "We’ve seen another mistake just now, which is atypical for a four-time World Champion.

"That’s where he has to find his way out, that’s very important."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.