Former Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger has predicted another hard year for the Scuderia, saying that he sees little prospect of revived fortunes against the likes of Mercedes and Red Bull.
“My heart is Ferrari and it hurts to criticise,” said the German, who drove for the team for three years in the 1980s, and returned for another three-season stint at Maranello in the 1990s, during which time he claimed five of his ten Grand Prix victories.
"The reality is that it is on a downward spiral," Berger told Auto Motor Und Sport this week.
"The situation now is like this: Ferrari in 2015 with luck took some successes, and they assumed that was an achievement. But they are now really far from Mercedes and Red Bull. Somehow Ferrari is back where they were when I drove for them."
"Ferrari is sensitive to any criticism," he said. "It is somehow the 'golden calf', which one must not touch.
Berger repeated his comments that Sebastian Vettel had been wrong to move from Red Bull to Maranello in 2015, and said that the four-time world champion might have to consider moving on at the end of 2017.
"He underestimated what Michael [Schumacher] did," Berger insisted. “Michael went to Ferrari, but he took Benetton people with him.
"When he arrived, Ferrari was in the same state that it is today. Sebastian should have made the move to Ferrari only if he could - as Michael did - take key figures from Red Bull along with him.
“I don't see there will be much change at Ferrari in 2017, and then Vettel will need to make a decision."
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