Graham Caygill
For a man used to success, 2014 has proven to be something of a shock to the system for Sebastian Vettel.
One podium, a third place in Malaysia, from four races is not what the German or Red Bull Racing would have had in mind at the start of the season when they began their bids for a fifth successive double of drivers’ and constructors’ championships.
But it is not the fact that Mercedes-GP are proving untouchable at the front that is giving Vettel the most pain at present.
It is not even the fact that he is not best of the rest at present, with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso third in the championship standings.
It is the fact he is not the fastest Red Bull driver at present that is causing Vettel’s smile to disappear.
Our interactive guide for the latest F1 standings and the season schedule
The past four seasons have seen four world titles for Vettel, 34 race victories, 40 pole positions and 19 fastest laps.
He has been used to having things his own way.
The Red Bull was the car to have, unquestionably, and the 26 year old made full use of it.
He was faster and more consistent than his teammate during that time, Mark Webber, and while their skirmishes and inter-team rivalry are well documented, they were generally a rarity, rather than the norm, as Vettel’s superior pace usually put him out in front.
But this year is different. Daniel Ricciardo, his new teammate after Webber retired, is proving quick, too quick for Vettel’s liking.
On Sunday in China, as had happened two weeks earlier in Bahrain, Red Bull had to come on the pit radio to ask Vettel to move aside for Ricciardo, in a bid to prevent the pair scrapping for position on track, potentially losing time in the process.
Vettel had played the team game in Bahrain and allowed the Australian through, but he was rather more reticent to do so in Shanghai as he held fourth to Ricciardo’s fifth on lap 25 when the order was made.
After discovering Ricciardo was on the same harder tyre compound as him, the German had initially said “tough luck” over the pit radio and then driven defensively to protect his position from his teammate.
But he left a gap on the inside into Turn 1 at the start of lap 27 for Ricciardo to sweep through and that was the last he would see of the Australian, who pulled away as he went off in a futile pursuit of Alonso’s third place.
It is important to state that Vettel did, eventually, play the team game and do what he was told.
But his brief act of defiance brought back memories of his ignorance of the order to stay behind Webber in Malaysia 13 months ago, where he overtook his teammate, winning the race in the process but damaging his public persona with both fans and the media in the process.
This was different and the reason for his behaviour was pretty obvious. Frustration.
Vettel is not the first world champion to have to deal with the fact he has little chance of retaining his world championship crown early in a season.
The package of the Red Bull Racing car with the Renault engine is nowhere near that of the Mercedes-GP, and there is nothing Vettel, on his own, can do about it.
But it is the fact that the less-experienced Ricciardo is doing the better job that will be really chewing Vettel up inside.
If you do not have a car to challenge for victory, the best area of judging your pace is comparing that to your teammate.
Webber did not beat Vettel in a race, where both men finished, in 2013. Ricciardo has done it twice in the past two races, out-qualifying him on both occasions.
Whether it is the new V6-engines and car configurations suit Ricciardo more than Vettel, it is hard to tell, but the Australian has made a much stronger start to life at Red Bull after his move up from Toro Rosso than even he could have expected.
Mercedes look as if they will make the drivers’ championship a private fight between their drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, but the fight between Vettel and Ricciardo will be equally fascinating.
Vettel’s grumbling tone on Sunday made it clear he was unhappy with being told to move over.
But if he wants to avoid that happening again, the onus is on him to raise his game and prove to the world that his world champion-esque performances are not reserved for when he has world championship winning equipment at his disposal.
He could do with starting to show that on May 11 at the next round in Spain.
gcaygill@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @SprtNationalUAE
