Arrivabene defends 'human being' Vettel

Apr.21 (GMM) The case of Sebastian Vettel shows how quickly things can turn around in formula one.

Before Bahrain, the German was the new darling of Ferrari, dubbed 'Per-vettal' by the Italian press while teammate Kimi Raikkonen was once again struggling for results.

But on Sunday, it was the Finn who pushed Mercedes hard for victory, while Vettel had an error-strewn race.

"After three perfect races, Vettel paid a high price for many mistakes," said La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Another Italian newspaper, La Stampa, added: "This time Vettel was the number two at Ferrari ... imprecise, nervous, harried".

Team boss Maurizio Arrivabene said: "Sebastian made a couple of mistakes, otherwise we could have had two drivers on the podium.

"But he is - thank god - a human being, as we all are," the Italian insisted.

Arrivabene continued: "We live in a world that is far too fleeting. He has won a race and stood on the podium twice, and is part of a team that has done something incredible over the winter."