F1 Gossip: Vettel “doesn’t like pressure” - Berger

Gerhard Berger says Sebastian Vettel struggles when put under pressure in Formula 1 after the German endured a torrid first race for Aston Martin in Bahrain.

The Austrian worked with Vettel during their time together at Toro Rosso and he thinks the German has shown vulnerabilities throughout his career when he has been put under pressure internally.

"At Ferrari, it was the same thing," Berger told the official Australian GP podcast. "I just feel he is not free, not relaxed. He maybe wants to prove things, but at this moment it is not possible because the car is not good enough, or his own form is not good enough.

"He never reacts very well under pressure. Remember when Daniel [Ricciardo] came to Red Bull and was very strong, he put pressure onto Sebastian.

"When you have done so many races, there comes a point where you're not in the situation anymore where you'd like to take all the risks, where you fight like you would fight before you won any races.

"In some ways, it just hasn't worked out well for him. He starts to do mistakes, people then start to question him. Step by step there's more and more pressure, and he doesn't like pressure."

1996 F1 champion Damon Hill has also chipped in with his thoughts on Vettel's form.

Speaking during F1's 'F1 Nation' podcast, Hill said: “It’s like watching that Mexican game at the party, the pinata. He is getting beaten to a pulp.

“What’s happening to him is awful to watch. I do feel something has got to shift in his psychological constellation. He needs to see a mystic and go and have some sort of evil spirit removed from him. He’s done something wrong to deserve this.”

Three-time Formula 1 world champion Nelson Piquet thinks Max Verstappen would dominate Lewis Hamilton if the pair were teammates. (Motorsport Week)

British TV broadcaster Sky Sports enjoyed record viewing figures for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. (Sky Sports)

Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas has become a significant shareholder of Pelicans Lahti - a Finnish hockey organisation (Pelicans Lahti)

Lando Norris has questioned Red Bull’s decision to force Verstappen to let Hamilton back through in Bahrain, as the Dutchman was already in front and thus it was ‘his corner’.

"Max is already easily in front. He comes off track due to oversteer, but he was already in front and had already made the action. He could have taken his foot off the gas to get control, but then he would have lost the lead again,'' Norris said during a stream on his Twitch channel.

Following the Bahrain GP, Pirelli has been testing its 2022 18-inch tyres with Ferrari and Alpine.

Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc split the running on Tuesday, while Esteban Ocon tested the new tyres on Wednesday. Fernando Alonso is in the Alpine on Thursday.

Here we are with day 3 of 2022 #Fit4F1 18-inch tyre test at @BAH_Int_Circuit with @alo_oficial and @AlpineF1Team! Starting conditions time: sunny, 30° air / 38° track. #F1 pic.twitter.com/cnzwuJIHHY

— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) April 1, 2021