Vettel F1 era coming to an end: Ecclestone (Update)
At the height of the Schumacher era, as the German reeled off win after win, title after title, interest in the sport declined. Indeed, things got so bad sections of the media virtually dropped their coverage of the sport.
Today, as Vettel heads towards his fourth successive title, the F1 supremo is mindful that along with the media, the moneymen, sponsors and promoters, will lose interest if virtually every race is going to end with the same result.
Talking to Bild, Ecclestone insists that despite three successive wins, two of them on circuits where Red Bull usually struggles, Vettel's grip on the sport will soon diminish.
"His domination will end, maybe in 2014," he told Bild. "We're going to have completely new cars, new engines, new rules. That will be the chance for Ferrari and Mercedes to catch up with Vettel. Next year, it might not be the best driver but the best car that wins the title."
Of course, the key phrase in all that is "catch up", in 2014, as in 2013, it is up to the opposition to raise its game.
The cars may be different next year, but as we have seen with Leyton House, Williams and McLaren, Adrian Newey can come up with the goods no matter what the rule book dictates.
Furthermore, Renault, as witnessed in various eras, and having been at the forefront of turbo technology when it was first introduced to the sport, is no slouch.
Should Vettel take pole for the opening race next season, and, even worse, take victory, the loudest booing will no doubt be heard from the little man in the white shirt and grey Beatle mop climbing into the back of a Maybach.
As for his claim that "he doesn't give Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton a chance…" were the situation reversed would they? Winning is what they were all born to do. Pitpass.com
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| Both Ecclestone (L) and di Montezemolo (R) hope Vettel's car holds him back in 2014 |
09/24/13 Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has predicted that triple world champion Sebastian Vettel's dominance of the sport will soon be over.
Speaking to Bild newspaper, Ecclestone said this season's runaway championship leader could even be knocked off his perch as early as next year.
"His domination will end, maybe in 2014. We're going to have completely new cars, new engines, new rules," said Ecclestone.
"That will be the chance for Ferrari and Mercedes to catch up with Vettel. Next year, it might not be the best driver but the best car that wins the title."
Ecclestone said he believed the jeers that have met Vettel's past two race wins in Italy and Singapore were not due to him as a person, but due to his dominance.
The German has won the past three GPs and seven in total this season – more than half the races – and leads Fernando Alonso by 60 points in the standings, with the Spaniard another 36 points clear of third-placed Lewis Hamilton.
"He doesn't give Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton a chance. He's as dominant as (Ayrton) Senna or (Michael) Schumacher in certain periods." SBS News