The German recounted his declining phase in F1: “I just wanted the biggest trophy, to appear as a winner on the podium. Charles was happy even with a fifth place”
He seemed like the right man to bring Ferrari back to the top of the world, just like Michael Schumacher, his idol. Instead, Sebastian Vettel only came close to winning the F1 world title with the red car, after the four laurels won as a Red Bull driver. And that’s not all: during his adventure with the Maranello team, he experienced the beginning of decline. Vettel himself admitted it on the podcast Beyond the Grid. According to the German, this decline has become evident since Leclerc’s arrival at Ferrari.
vettel obsession
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When the Monegasque became a Ferrari driver, in 2019, Sebastian already boasted a great palmares: “By winning the 2010 title, I was at my peak. Then I experienced other years of high level. 2015 was also a very positive season. The same goes for 2017 and 2018. Then, however, in 2019 and also during the following year, I was already in decline. Now I can say it, I no longer had that decisive push.” At the same time, however, the German describes himself as a driver obsessed with success: “Honestly, I was only interested in winning. I wanted the biggest trophy, I dreamed of the moment on the podium in which I appeared to be the winner. I chased that Monday morning thought: ‘I won the race and I feel great’. This feeling never lasts long enough and forces you to win again.” A very different approach from that of his teammate, 10 years younger.
decline
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Having arrived at Ferrari when he wasn’t even twenty-two, Leclerc experienced the races with a different spirit: “Charles really had a lot of energy. When we finished fifth and sixth, he was enthusiastic about those results, because he was experiencing a different phase of his career. It was his first time in a competitive car. At that moment I started to feel some more difficulties.” Then came 2020, which gave a further turning point to Sebastian’s career: “During the pandemic stop, I experienced a fantastic break because I had a lot of fun with my family. As my children grew up, I started to realize the problems in the world and how much they affected me. So I started to reflect on it. At that point I was no longer at the top.” After 2020, Vettel moved to Aston Martin, competing until 2022, his last year in the Circus.
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