Sebastian Vettel is probably the biggest name that joined this year’s race of champions (ROC) edition. Though, apart from Valtteri Bottas, nobody else represented F1’s starting grid in the event.
But Vettel being the four-time F1 world champion and a regular participant would always be touted as one of the favourites. However, in the semi-final, he lost against his compatriot and mentee, Mick Schumacher.
Though even he didn’t win it, Mattias Ekstrom took this year’s title. The rallycross racer had a comprehensive win over the Mercedes reserve driver in the event and kept the dominance of his breed of racers in snow racing.
MICK SCHUMACHER P2 ON ROC BABY pic.twitter.com/W4EjejSGMT
— ian (@whitmanike) January 29, 2023
Also read: 2023 Battle Between Mercedes Teammates Expected To Be ‘Tight’ According to F1 Pundit
Sebastian Vettel tells why F1 drivers are losing in ROC
So, since the event has shifted to racing on the snow, F1 drivers have lost their edge. The nation’s cup was won by the father-son duo of Peter and Oliver Solberg, who are known for their rally racing penchant.
Vettel discusses why F1 drivers are often smashed to the dust by their drifting rally counterparts. Sim racer Lukas Blakeley also defeated the German in 2022. The same person also knocked out Valtteri Bottas and Mika Hakkinen’s Finland from the event.
Blakeley also won this year’s ROC’s sim version. He has a wide experience in rally racing circuits in a game. So what makes the best race drivers in the world lose against racers from the lesser-known series?
“Formula 1 or single-seaters cars aren’t made for sliding,” said Vettel at ROC’s press conference. The video by ROC cuts to Vettel and Mick Schumacher telling their opponents how clueless they were about the machinery and the braking points on the circuit.
Vettel might pick up rally racing
Ahead of the ROC 2023, Vettel spoke about the respect he has gained for rally racing over the years. He claims that more people should acknowledge how difficult the sport is.
Vettel retired from F1 at the end of the last season. Now, he plans to do nothing, but when asked whether he’ll be interested in doing rally racing in future, he replies that if his mind is desperate to get back into the racing, he could pick it up.
If he takes that surely, the sport will gain popularity among F1 fans because of Vettel alone. That would surely fulfil his desire for the sport getting expand beyond the Nordic countries.
