Sebastian Vettel’s former manager says he ‘let himself down’ with ‘unacceptable’ radio message

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Jock Clear has recalled the time Sebastian Vettel ‘let himself down’ after what was described as an ‘unacceptable’ rant.

Vettel, 38, is one of the finest F1 drivers of his generation, having raced for teams like Red Bull, Ferrari and Aston Martin.

The German won four titles during a dominant stint at Red Bull before joining Ferrari ahead of the 2015 season.

During his time with the Scuderia, Vettel struggled to win a world championship as he was faced with a dominant Lewis Hamilton in a Mercedes.

Eventually, Vettel left Ferrari for Aston Martin in 2021 before retiring at the end of the 2022 campaign.

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Sebastian Vettel ‘let himself down’ after ‘unacceptable’ rant

Speaking recently to Peter Windsor, Vettel’s former manager, Clear, recalled the time the German ‘let himself down’ after unleashing an ‘unacceptable’ rant at race director Charlie Whiting.

He said: “Do you remember the rant that Seb had on Charlie Whiting in Mexico. When he was effing and blinding at Charlie Whiting.

“I was the Sporting Manager at Ferrari at the time and I had to go to the stewards and explain why the driver, with the driver, why we were swearing.

“For me, that was unacceptable. I have a great relationship with Seb, I have a huge amount of respect for Seb. Another guy like Michael (Schumacher), a lovely human being. Just a great guy.

“But he let himself down on that day in my view, because you know, you don’t speak to the race director in that manner and it’s one of those values that I hold highly, and I try to instil with all my drivers.”

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Jock Clear on Lewis Hamilton’s second season at Ferrari

Speaking about the current Ferrari driver pairing, Clear noted the visible improvements in Hamilton when compared to his debut season.

He said: “We all felt the pain of Lewis’ struggles last year… My view on that wasn’t as dramatic as maybe others.

“Honestly, I think it reassures us of how difficult this is. When people say, ‘Oh, Lewis was just in the best car, and that’s why he won all the championships.‘.. You change team, a different culture, a different DNA to the team as well as the car, and Lewis struggled.

“Because it’s tough. With a year’s experience at Ferrari now, building relationships, and getting some of his input into the development, you’ve seen the difference this year. I’m not talking about lap time; that speaks for itself.

“But Lewis’ whole demeanour. He’s enjoying himself this year because he’s got a car that he feels a bit more confident with. And once you’ve got the confidence, you can really push further. That’s when you find out what the limitations are, then you can address those, and it becomes an organic development.”