Autosportfoto

Berger can’t see much change at Ferrari in F1 2017

Gerhard Berger says he can't see that much will change at Ferrari in 2017 and the reality is that the team is on a downward spiral.

The Scuderia appeared to be making progress in 2015, and with Sebastian Vettel joining the team from Red Bull, claimed three wins. However, the team failed to move forward last year, slipping back to third in the Constructors' Championship, while neither Vettel or Kimi Raikkonen were able to win a race.

"Ferrari is sensitive to any criticism," Berger said in an interview with Auto Motor und Sport last week, "and it is somehow the 'golden calf', which one must not touch. But the reality is that it is on a downward spiral."

"My heart is Ferrari and it hurts to criticise," continued the former F1 pilot, who raced in the sport from 1984-1997, winning 10 grand's prix, "but 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 [from 1993 to 1995]."

Berger also added that he thinks Vettel misjudged just how hard it would be to take Ferrari back to the top and replicate what Michael Schumacher had done.

"He [Vettel] underestimated what Michael did at the time," Berger confirmed. "Michael went to Ferrari, but with Benetton people in his luggage. When he arrived, Ferrari was in the state of today. Sebastian should have taken the step to Ferrari only if he could, as Michael did, [but with Benetton], take key figures from Red Bull along with him.

"I do not see there will be much change at Ferrari in 2017 and then Vettel will need to make a decision [about his future]." 

Zdroj: crash.net