Is Vettel's new baby the reason...?

[sjb266]

I once read a quote from a leading F1 driver saying that having a kid costs you a few tenths... Time you can never get back because your whole headspace has been changed forever...

I'm no expert and I don't know which other drivers have kids but it's an interesting concept...

Vettel welcomed his new baby girl into the world earlier this year... It's not unreasonable to assume that having a new daughter would be having a least some impact on his once single minded determination to push the limits of himself and the car....

Just putting it out there...

[nixxxon]

Oh yeah that really explains everything.... No.

[VDV23]

I once read a quote from a leading F1 driver saying that having a kid costs you a few tenths... Time you can never get back because your whole headspace has been changed forever...

I'm no expert and I don't know which other drivers have kids but it's an interesting concept...

Vettel welcomed his new baby girl into the world earlier this year... It's not unreasonable to assume that having a new daughter would be having a least some impact on his once single minded determination to push the limits of himself and the car....

Just putting it out there...

Maybe that applied decades ago when F1 was extremely dangerous sport. Today - I don't think so.

[Peter77]

Seriously how many threads about Vettel struggling are going to be started. There are 20 similar threads already and counting.

[Black_Flag_11]

I heard he got a text from his girlfriend before the race with only 3 kisses on the end whilst he has recently been accustomed to 5...

[infi24r]

Seriously how many threads about Vettel struggling are going to be started. There are 20 similar threads already and counting.

Its actually the recent lunar eclipse and the earths rotation in relation to the stars that are causing Vettel to be slower.

That, or he has a faster team mate and no longer has the fastest car.

[Benici]

If anything it should help - after all he likes a sticky rear end.

[Peter77]

If anything it should help - after all he likes a sticky rear end.

Hahahahahaha

[Chunky]

No. If anything it's Adrian's new baby that is the problem.

[Laura23]

No. Having kids didn't exactly slow Schumacher down much.

[backdoc]

I believe it's the new moon. Only happens every 5th year for people with the initials SV. Bummer for Seb really, but I blame red bull for giving him the drive in 2009.

[Black_Flag_11]

Vettel is a notorious pot head and yesterday was 4/20...

[Lotus49]

Vettel is a notorious pot head and yesterday was 4/20...

This.

[shoot999]

On the plus side at least he has got someone of his own age to play with.

[stevey]

depends in which context you mean

1, thinking about life, morality and all that could shave off a couple of tenths or cause you to be more cautious than you used to be.

the counter argument to that is the racing is now a lot safer than in the past, but still has its dangers.

2, The mental exhaustion that can occur when raising children can be taxing to say the least. I have 2 very young children and due to a number of things, lack of sleep, worrying about there welfare, and all sorts of weird and wonderful things you start to think about when having children I can honestly say im running at around 75% of my normal mental capacity. The words "brain fade" can be applied on an almost daily basis.

Im not sure on how he raises his child, child care, nannies etc so cant really comment on the impact on him.

[Pedrosa_4_Ever]

YES! Weird speculation threads for why a driver is struggling NOT about Hamilton or Webber.

This is a happy day.

[Jeepkhana]

Just putting it out there...

Well thanks for that. There isn't nearly enough speculation on this forum....

[Teach206]

Children don't reduce a drivers headspace to push the limits, they may change the amount of time a driver has to spend developing his craft, as the baby now takes some of that away.

It is for Vettel to find his mojo again.

I am not his fan, but I respect the man for his abilities to extract everything he could out of his Red Bull cars for the last 4 years. Look at any race in the period when a driver like Hamilton would set a blistering, almost insurmountable time in Qualifying and in Practice session, only for Vettel to find his mojo and top it for pole...

What has happened this year is a combination of being exhausted (4 years of dominance can do that), and now having to cope with new challenges.

I expect him to bounce back like Hamilton and Alonso have done in the past.

I do not however expect him to beat DR more time than DR bears him this year. DR is proving his worth, and can no longer be stopped. He is the new face of Red Bull F1..!

[sjb266]

depends in which context you mean

1, thinking about life, morality and all that could shave off a couple of tenths or cause you to be more cautious than you used to be.

the counter argument to that is the racing is now a lot safer than in the past, but still has its dangers.

2, The mental exhaustion that can occur when raising children can be taxing to say the least. I have 2 very young children and due to a number of things, lack of sleep, worrying about there welfare, and all sorts of weird and wonderful things you start to think about when having children I can honestly say im running at around 75% of my normal mental capacity. The words "brain fade" can be applied on an almost daily basis.

Im not sure on how he raises his child, child care, nannies etc so cant really comment on the impact on him.

All of the above...

[FormulaFun]

no he's just getting beat, no excuses.

[fieldstvl]

As he swept around the outside of the Ferrari, Alonso's speed at the apex of the corner was 208mph. Knowing that any contact between the two cars would have resulted in an accident that at least one of them may well not have escaped unhurt, the bravery required to pull that off against a man who had built his reputation on bullying and intimidation was immense - the more so given that, two years before, Schumacher had edged Alonso on to the grass at Silverstone at more than 180mph.

But it was not so much the move itself that was telling - once Alonso was alongside and going faster, Schumacher had no choice but to give way - as the mindset that allowed him to think about trying it.

Asked about it a few weeks later, Alonso told the veteran F1 journalist Nigel Roebuck: "At times like that, I always remember that Michael has two kids."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/legacy/andre ... sands.html

[minchy]

Grosjean had his best drives in the latter half of last year, which was also just after he had his first child. So no, it doesn't always but everyone is different.

[fabr68]

I would not call Ricciardo Vettel's new baby. He is just showing he is a man of his own

[wire2004]

Nice to See that The seb fans trying to defend the poor start to this year

[Filip]

this baby is called rearendie

[IngenGrenser]

Nice to See that The seb fans trying to defend the poor start to this year

How does a single person, who may or may not be a Vettel fan, asking if anyone thinks Vettel's focus is being affected by his new baby, become Vettel fans (plural) making excuses for him? Every part of your remark is either wrong, presumptuous or exaggerated. It's this sort of stuff that so often ruins Vettel discussions around here.

[minchy]

As he swept around the outside of the Ferrari, Alonso's speed at the apex of the corner was 208mph. Knowing that any contact between the two cars would have resulted in an accident that at least one of them may well not have escaped unhurt, the bravery required to pull that off against a man who had built his reputation on bullying and intimidation was immense - the more so given that, two years before, Schumacher had edged Alonso on to the grass at Silverstone at more than 180mph.

But it was not so much the move itself that was telling - once Alonso was alongside and going faster, Schumacher had no choice but to give way - as the mindset that allowed him to think about trying it.

Asked about it a few weeks later, Alonso told the veteran F1 journalist Nigel Roebuck: "At times like that, I always remember that Michael has two kids."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/legacy/andre ... sands.html

that's an odd quote and it can be read 2 ways - does he think of Michaels kids because he thinks Michael will not take as many risks because of them? Or, because he doesnt want to take any risks to put Michael in danger because of them?

[Schumacher forever#1]

I think it was because Vettel is losing confidence with every weekend that goes by. He was coming into Australia knowing that his car was unreliable and most likely was slower than the leaders. After being in the best car for at least three years, his racing feels alien. Retiring and seeing his teamate go onto the podium didnt help, nor getting out qualified in 2 of the next three races and out raced in 2 of three, with the third being on par. 'Fear cuts deeper than steel' and I feel he is becoming fearful of the ever smiling, ever 'I'm so happy doing so well' Ricciardo, his expression compared to Ricciardo won't help himself either.

[fieldstvl]

As he swept around the outside of the Ferrari, Alonso's speed at the apex of the corner was 208mph. Knowing that any contact between the two cars would have resulted in an accident that at least one of them may well not have escaped unhurt, the bravery required to pull that off against a man who had built his reputation on bullying and intimidation was immense - the more so given that, two years before, Schumacher had edged Alonso on to the grass at Silverstone at more than 180mph.

But it was not so much the move itself that was telling - once Alonso was alongside and going faster, Schumacher had no choice but to give way - as the mindset that allowed him to think about trying it.

Asked about it a few weeks later, Alonso told the veteran F1 journalist Nigel Roebuck: "At times like that, I always remember that Michael has two kids."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/legacy/andre ... sands.html

that's an odd quote and it can be read 2 ways - does he think of Michaels kids because he thinks Michael will not take as many risks because of them? Or, because he doesnt want to take any risks to put Michael in danger because of them?

It could of course be read in many many ways. My understanding is that the first of the two suggestions you made is what was implied.

[sjb266]

Nice to See that The seb fans trying to defend the poor start to this year

How does a single person, who may or may not be a Vettel fan, asking if anyone thinks Vettel's focus is being affected by his new baby, become Vettel fans (plural) making excuses for him? Every part of your remark is either wrong, presumptuous or exaggerated. It's this sort of stuff that so often ruins Vettel discussions around here.

Yeah I'm Australian so obviously not the biggest Vettel fan...!

[lbennie]

No.
What happened to Vettel is Ricciardo.

My lord, that kid can drive.

[oz_karter]

No.
What happened to Vettel is Ricciardo.

My lord, that kid can drive.

This.

I think people need to consider that Ricciardo might just be THAT good...