Schumacher was right about Vettel - Clear

Michael Schumacher was "absolutely right" to have urged Ferrari to sign up Sebastian Vettel for the future.

Well-known F1 engineer Jock Clear has returned from a year of ’gardening leave’ to take up a leading position at Ferrari, where Vettel is now regarded as the Maranello’s great hope of reviving the Schumacher-esque glory days.

And Clear knows Schumacher well, having worked with him at Mercedes until the great German’s second and final retirement from the sport.

"Michael Schumacher always boasted about Sebastian," the Briton is quoted as saying by Speed Week. "And he was absolutely right.

"Now that I work with Sebastian at Ferrari, I can confirm that nothing Michael had said about him was exaggerated," added Clear.

"It is especially his incredible loyalty to detail that Vettel has that brings the best out of all the staff and drives the team forward. His contribution is invaluable, and the nature of his work is precisely the difference between a four-time world champion and other drivers in the pitlane," he said.

Clear says he is happy to have returned to F1, after a full year away.

"It’s not easy to go from being at every race for 21 years to suddenly sitting at home on the sofa and watching on TV — it’s not fun," he admitted.

"I also found it remarkable how quickly you lose the pace of the decision-making that goes on in F1. I am still getting back up to speed — qualifying and the race were a shock," he smiled.

"Luckily I have great people around me."