Firstly, this is my first post in an extremely long time, I think I stopped posting after MC left.....neways, have been very busy with college and all, so a big Hi to those who remember me, and a big WELCOME to the so many newcomers i have seen joining recently.
Now, as this concerned Ferrari I simply had to have an opinion
Vettel is no doubt, a very good driver and one of the most promising rookies I have ever seen. I simply loved his drive in Hungary last year, although he spun a couple of times, he was clearly very good for a first timer on a wet track.
However, the question is whether he is Ferrari material or not. Ferrari have always preferred a clear difference between the two drivers, and eventhough the Massa/Kimi pairing isnt clearly 1-2, I would say that Ferrari has played smart and has selected two drivers who both have the potential of winning the Championship, but at the same time will remain in peace with each other. Kimi would never bother to even think about all the bullshit about preferential treatment and all as long as he has a winning car and Massa is simply to focussed on getting the car through the weekend without any problems to think about the same. Both feel secure within the walls of Ferrari.
Now lets imagine Vettel replacing. Hes German, would probably be the new "Schumi's kid" and will have one of the purest racers in F1 as his teammate. Now, I dont imagine Vettel would take time to get to grips with the cars and will probably start with quick times straight-away. He will be exceptional in quali and will suddenly start breathing down Kimi's neck. Now that Kimi has already won a Championship, and is mostly a closed book, I see no reason why the team will not start instantly loving the new kid on the block.
The difference between Massa and Vettel is simply that I believe, quick laps come naturally to Vettel whereas Massa really has to dissect each of Kimi's laps to understand where he is slow. Although he gets to almost the same level, I think a natural quickness is needed when you are competing against someone like Kimi. From what I have seen of Vettel, I think he has it, but it still needs a little garnish.
So, according to me the best thing would be to get Vettel AFTER Kimi has retired which cannot be more than 2-3 years. Because, I just get the feel that the environment in Ferrari with Kimi will change with Vettel around because of his natural speed and the fact that he is very lovable, caring and moreover, still a kid. Suddenly, Kimi will not remain the golden boy of Ferrari.
So the best thing to do is get Vettel testing with Ferrari ASAP and groom him to the Ferrari way of things, so that when Kimi goes, hes the one with the breath of fresh air. And Massa, well I think he will continue at Ferrari for the simple reason that hes fast and totally benign. However, a Championship win could change all that.........
