Andretti: Vettel can return Ferrari to the front

Mario Andretti

Former F1 World Champion Mario Andretti believes that Sebastian Vettel has what it takes to galvanize Ferrari and end the team's title drought when he makes the switch from Red Bull after the 2014 campaign.

Although his move has not been announced, Red Bull chiefs have clarified that Vettel is on his way to Ferrari, with Fernando Alonso's departure since being confirmed by former company President Luca di Montezemolo.

Ferrari is searching for its first Formula 1 crown since 2008, but Andretti, who himself competed for the Italian outfit in the top echelon, reckons four-time title winner Vettel could be the man to spark a new era of success.

"Sebastian will fare very well no matter where he goes. He probably just needs a new challenge, to perhaps be appreciated in a new way. I'm sure he will be when he goes to Ferrari," the 1978 Champion told GPUpdate.net.

"[The team] can be down, but sooner or later they will be a factor and that could be a big feather in his cap. He cannot do any worse than what Fernando has been doing so far. Given a competitive car he can bring the Prancing Horse to the top again and that would be huge. You know how important that is for Formula 1."

Andretti says it will be an opportunity for Vettel to prove his critics wrong after a tough season under all-new technical regulations, where he has so far failed to win a race compared to teammate Daniel Ricciardo's three.

"So far you could say he's a one-dimensional driver, as he cannot put his arms around less downforce, the way the power comes on and so forth. He has not embraced that in a way that you would hope," Andretti added.

"But he's getting stronger and stronger, so his brilliant talent will ultimately come forth and he'll continue to show what he's capable of. I'll never, ever degrade his ability. Sooner or later, he'll prove anyone so wrong."

Andretti also made reference to Lewis Hamilton's bold decision to leave long-time squad McLaren for Mercedes at the end of the 2012 season, with the Briton leading this year's championship after 16 of 19 rounds.

"What did we know when Lewis quit McLaren? He went to Mercedes, which wasn't very competitive at the time, but it was probably the best move of his career, so this could be another one," Andretti summarized.