When Vettel signed the contract to join Ferrari in 2015, the organization saw him as the driver who could bring the World Championship back to Maranello, something Fernando Alonso was unable to do.
The German was in the strongest position to surpass his hero Michael Schumacher’s seven-title record at the time because he had won four of the previous five championships. He was and still is adored by Ferrari’s devoted Tifosi fan base as well as by teammates.
Vettel, however, was replaced by the future in the form of Charles Leclerc, who aggressively grabbed control of the team and demoted the German to bridesmaid after failing to meet the target in the first four years.
Any champion would struggle to handle that. He realized that he was no longer the team’s preferred driver. Ferrari were pleased to keep him in the family, but they did not want to commit to a long-term relationship because they had found a new love. Three is a crowd, after all, and Vettel needed dedication and focus, but that wasn’t an option. So they parted ways.
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Vettel regrets Ferrari’s abandonment of him.
Sebastian Vettel has voiced annoyance with Ferrari for leaving him hanging before deciding not to renew his contract.
The four-time former World Champion entered every race of the 2020 season certain that it would be his final with the Scuderia; the two parties made their separation official in May.
While Carlos Sainz was swiftly named as Sebastian Vettel’s replacement at Ferrari, it took four months for the German to officially be declared as Sergio Perez’s replacement at Racing Point, which would later become Aston Martin.
When he was eventually approached by team principal Mattia Binotto, Vettel claims that the news from Ferrari came as a complete surprise at a time when he believed they were serious about keeping him in the team.
“In the end, it won’t matter. In an interview with L’Equipe, Vettel stated, “I have accepted the decision. “When Mattia called, I could tell from the sound of his voice that there was nothing I could say or do to change his mind. It was useless to try to persuade him.
“It took me time to comprehend it, to grasp what I wanted to do next. Although I don’t see myself continuing in Formula One when I’m 40, I do believe I can still contribute, especially after everything I’ve accomplished in the sport.
“I was bewildered more than I was in agony. We had been discussing extending my contract up until this phone call. The choice to let me go was unexpected.
“I wished they had spoken to me first, or at the very least brought it up sooner. I can see why the team must change. I must follow suit, but because everyone was aware that I would no longer be a part of Ferrari’s future, the season was already altered before it even got underway.
Under the end, Vettel had a bad season, with the sole noteworthy accomplishment being finishing third in challenging circumstances in the Turkish Grand Prix.
He has also engaged in verbal sparring with teammate Leclerc, about whom he had a fit on the team radio during the Bahrain Grand Prix, but the two have denied having any unresolved animosity.
The 33-year-old adamantly proclaimed, “I never had any issues with Charles. Even so, it was a pleasure working with him. He is the Ferrari of the future, as we all know.
Vettel claims he nearly left Formula One before the Aston Martin contract but disputes Ferrari’s regrets.
Sebastian Vettel stated he was on the verge of quitting Formula One before signing his new contract after making the announcement that he will join Racing Point for the upcoming season. Vettel has been a Ferrari driver for the last five years, but earlier this year, his contract was not renewed, leaving him without a drive.
The four-time world champion acknowledged his time with Ferrari had been a failure in remarks made before Sunday’s Tuscan Grand Prix at Mugello. He recently signed a multi-year contract with Racing Point, which will become Aston Martin next year and is having a successful season.
When asked if he had thought about retiring, he responded, “It was near. “I had to prioritize what was best for me in light of the fact that I had a lot of thoughts. I think what I’ve decided is best for me at this time.”
At Racing Point, Vettel will race alongside Lance Stroll, the team’s multibillionaire owner. Sergio Perez, a highly regarded Mexican driver, lost his job on Wednesday despite having a contract with the club till the end of 2022. His replacement is Sergio, who replaces him.
Vettel’s announcement looks to have been timed to coincide with Ferrari’s celebration of their 1,000th F1 race at Mugello. Vettel has made it obvious that he still loves Formula One and is keen to keep competing. The 33-year-old experienced some success while driving for Ferrari, but he also made expensive mistakes and was easily defeated by Lewis Hamilton, who has taken home the last three championships in a row.
In that aspect, you could argue that we failed because we did not win the championship, he said. “I joined Ferrari to win championships not simply win races and in the correct way.” “We shared some enjoyable times that I wouldn’t want to miss. I made friends who may become lifelong companions and got to know people who have genuinely benefited me, therefore I don’t regret my time with Ferrari over those years.”
Ferrari has made it plain that they support Charles Leclerc as their No. 1 driver and that Sebastian Vettel will be replaced by Carlos Sainz of McLaren. While Racing Point, who are using a car that is essentially a duplicate of the Mercedes that won the championship last year, are fourth, they are sixth in the constructors’ championship. They were later penalized with a fine of EUR400,000 and a 15-point deduction for unauthorized copying of Mercedes-Benz components.
The judgment is a setback for Perez, who played a key role in the administration procedure that allowed Stroll to acquire Racing Point from outgoing owner Vijay Mallya while the team was still known as Force India.
In Mugello, Perez admitted that the team hadn’t told him until after he had already determined he would be fired. Nobody explained anything to me, but I already understood and worked out a few things, he claimed. Last-minute confirmation arrived yesterday.
Since taking over Aston Martin, Stroll has big plans for both the club and his son. Perez’s hopes of staying in Formula One realistically lie with a spot at Haas or Alfa Romeo.
Nathan Saunders
Although Vettel joined in 2015 with great expectations, he was unable to add a fifth world championship to the four he had already won with Red Bull, despite 14 victories over six seasons.
He came the closest in 2017 and 2018, when Ferrari seemed to have a car that could win the championship, but he never had a chance to win going into the final race.
Vettel’s final race with the team will be this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix before he transfers to Racing Point in 2021 in preparation for the company’s rebranding as Aston Martin.
When questioned if he found solace in the fact that he competed against the powerful Mercedes team and was Ferrari’s third-most successful driver in terms of race victories, Vettel’s demeanor remained unchanged.
“We had the desire and intent to claim the championship, but we failed to do so. It’s just an honest reflection, in my opinion. Nothing changes, in my opinion, if you say it out loud.
“We faced a very formidable team-driver combination, but our intention was to outperform them, and we fell short in that aspect. There are causes for it; we had successful and unsuccessful races, some of which were nearby and others far away.
There are many causes, but overall, I don’t believe it is unjust; it is simply the truth, and there is nothing wrong with speaking it aloud.
Many people view Sebastian Vettel’s error-filled 2017 and 2018 seasons as missed opportunities for the German driver, who both times finished second to Lewis Hamilton.
Notably, his unintentional mistake at the 2018 German Grand Prix—crashing out of the lead in the rain—is regarded as a crucial turning point in his tenure at Ferrari.
No, I believe it was pretty much a roller-coaster journey over the years with a lot of things occurring,’ Vettel responded when asked if that was a fair assumption. It wasn’t aiding the momentum in that year.
“The error was a small one, but it had a significant impact and a significant punishment. There were undoubtedly more activities going on.
“I don’t know if you can really boil it down to just one thing,” Mattia Binotto said. “We had the passing of [Ferrari president] Mr. [Sergio] Marchionne in the ’18 season, the changing of leadership from Maurizio [Arrivabene] to Mattia [Binotto], so maybe the ’18 season was decisive for many things.”
“In 2016 we terminated James Allison’s employment at Ferrari due to personal issues that existed at the time. When we reflect, there are many things we could have and should have done differently. The most important thing on my end was to make sure I took something away from it since everything happens for a reason.
“I believe I learned from it. In Hockenheim, Germany, there were some on-track moments and off-track ones. Even while it wasn’t always simple and easy at the time, overall I feel much more at ease or in a better place than I did then.