Scuderia Ferrari German driver Sebastian Vettel interview with blick.ch:
Sebastian Vettel, first of all congratulations for the birth of your son.
Sebastian Vettel: Thank you.
To match the seven time fathers Nelson Piquet and Emerson Fittipaldi, you now only have four missing.
SV: (Laughs) But hey! These two cheated. The seven children are each from different mothers.
The many reviews about your driving style and mistakes must have annoyed and annoyed you?
SV: You learn with time to deal with it better. Many people in all parts of life form a judgment too quickly. And other things are forgotten just as quickly.
You are a four-time world champion, are you referring to your fame and success?
SV: In a world in which everything is as fast-paced as it is today, unfortunately both go very quickly.
Somehow I have the feeling that you are too intellectual for Formula 1.
SV: I do not believe that. There are certainly smarter people in the paddock than I am. But why do you have this impression?
You recently gave a great interview to the DPA (newspaper) in Germany. You talk about a time out and values such as decency, respect and honesty. Can you live it all up?
SV: I don’t think there is anyone who can live up to all the values that perhaps stand for something very good. But I think that you have to have a certain framework in your head so that you can hold into certain virtues. I don’t think that you can always succeed, but you can more and more if you try.
You often talk about “digital madness” that can no longer be stopped. In this regard, what can you give your children along on the path of life?
SV: You cannot avoid this topic. The world is what it is – and development is progressing quickly. You have to be able to live with everything that is not so good. But there are also good things. You should not shut yourself off from the new. It is important for my children how to live certain things themselves. You will immediately notice if you don’t live things the way they should be!
So your children use a cell phone in front of you?
SV: They will have one sooner than me! I got my first cell phone when I was 17. With a prepaid card. 25 euros on the cell phone etc. Back then, it was mostly used only for making calls. It’s different today.
Why are you against Twitter, Facebook and Instagram?
SV: I just don’t feel the need to share my private life with the public. It’s as simple as that. Even if I know that I’m definitely not average. Today is all about constantly communicating with the outside world.
Will your children have the same opinion on social networks?
SV: No, because the dynamics with cell phones start at school. So everyone has to participate, otherwise you are quickly an outsider. At four and five years old, the problem has not yet arisen – luckily!
They say that the pace is actually not made for this world. If everyone just steps on the gas, at some point it won’t go any further.
SV: I believe that people have a certain pace. Now of course you can argue about what is fast. At first it was the horse that got people from A to B. Then came the mobility and its development. What has really overtaken us now is the computer. It is faster than we are. And it will get faster and faster. The question is simple: can we still control the computer in a few years?
An interesting question that scares many people.
SV: Well, society doesn’t live well with this development. The stress may even be life threatening. Diseases and burst outs multiply. This is also a big topic in Formula 1, are the breaks now too short? And next year there will be 22 races for the first time. Unfortunately, the situation also affects the youth, which has been going on to the lowest school classes for some time, where the children simply have more stress. There will have to be solutions soon.
You really are interested in everything: the world view, politics, climate change. You can join the discussion anywhere. Your answers are almost like longer contributions.
SV: Let’s leave politics out. I don’t have too much hope, everything is a little too slow. Of course you follow world events, but it’s not my thing
Climate change is the most current issue. Would you like to go to a fine restaurant with Greta Thunberg?
SV: I would have no problem eating out with her. But I don’t know if she wants to sit at a table with me. In her view, I’m not exactly a role model. But I think it’s great that the youth is committed. It is also necessary that someone stands up and gives the direction.
And you?
SV: Each of us can and must do something. Perhaps you should look less at what’s not quite right. You should rather look at what you can do yourself. Otherwise we will be rubbing our eyes in a few years.
You already picked up plastic bottles in the paddock.
SV: Many then ask themselves: “What does he want to show us? He himself flies thousands of kilometers around the world.” But we have to get away from this attitude and get everyone to wonder what contribution they can make themselves.
Your big disadvantage in racing is the emotional side. It is particularly difficult for those who stand up for justice in Formula 1.
SV: Yes, perhaps. But I don’t think that’s a disadvantage. Everyone is the way they are. And that I am emotional from time to time is part of it. I like this sport, and a good portion of passion is also necessary in the cockpit. From time to time it would help me to be a little bit less emotional. But that would also take away the driving joy and the fun.
The 2019 season was rollercoaster ride. In Montreal you were at the bottom with your victory stolen thanks to the 5-second penalty – and in Singapore with your only victory of the season.
SV: It was definitely not the year we all hoped for. That is the main point. We had to put up with a lot in the first half of the season and tried to learn a lot. That didn’t work out. I missed a few opportunities in the second half. In the end it got more and more constant, but the bottom line is that it was not the season we wanted. And if the rhythm is missing, there are usually a few other things that stand in the way. However, that doesn’t knock you out after so many years.
Many fans ask: “How long does the four-time world champion and 53-time GP winner still feel like it?” The last five years have vainly pursued the red title dream.
SV: That was also five years of experience with a great team. I am grateful for that. However, I hope that it will not be five years more to the great success.
So full throttle in the Ferrari with great desire?
SV: As long as I perform and can do, age doesn’t matter. Hamilton is three years older than me. The pendulum swings very quickly anyway. Then you have three good races, and opinions change again. Everyone has their own experiences.
Have you ever seriously considered retiring from Formula 1?
SV: Not specifically. But after more than twelve years, you will surely think about what comes next. It is not good to go through life without a plan. Nobody knows whether it really is this plan.
Is your desire to drive at Ferrari really unlimited? Or will you be back with Red Bull in your previous family in 2021?
SV: I wouldn’t go that far now. At the moment the aim at Ferrari is clear – the world title. And we are not there yet.
When did you realize that the big celebration would not be in Maranello again?
SV: Actually, quite early on, but of course you try to suppress that for a long time. We were realistic after only three races because the distance to Mercedes was quite large. And there were no signs that the gap could be closed overnight.
Charles Leclerc beat you in the internal duel with 12: 9 and 2: 1 in victories. Is he the upcoming superstar? Or did you fall into a summer slump before the satisfactory final sprint?
SV: My season just wasn’t perfect. Small things make the difference. In the end, the points that should have been scored are missing. Of course I’m not satisfied, I have to improve, clearly. Life against Charles will certainly not be easier in 2020. And the new generation is already fully there. With Charles, Max, Esteban, Lando, Alex, George, Pierre…
How would you rate your season from 1 to 10?
SV: I was not good enough for an 8, 9 or 10. A 5 would be too hard. So a 6 or 7. You have to be careful, things like that will be rubbed under your nose again later.
Again: How do you deal with the often harsh criticism or advice from previous drivers like Villeneuve, Webber or Irvine?
SV: Each of us has an opinion that can be accepted in a certain sense. But it is unhealthy to judge immediately without knowing the background. When I blame myself, everyone says he has blamed himself. But maybe something was also to blame for the car because it suddenly change
What was the big minus for you in the Ferrari SF90? Just the restless tail, as you always emphasized?
SV: Yes, that was the common thread, let’s say the thread that ran through the season. We were just not stable enough from start to finish to take the speed into the corners. Especially on the rear axle compared to the other teams. That was our Achilles’ heel. Especially in the slow and medium-speed corners we always lost time that we could rarely make up for with our speed on the straights.
Are the new rules an advantage for you from the 2021 season? 18-inch tires, heavier but slower cars?
SV: I hope the cars don’t slow down. If, however, the goals of better overtaking are achieved, you are willing to accept a loss of three to four seconds. Otherwise not. Then it would be a disappointment.
You told your friend Bernie Ecclestone on his farm in Brazil that you tried vegan. Are you even on the trail of Lewis Hamilton?
SV: No, the experiment was already in 2018. The experiment lasted around six weeks and I learned a lot from it. It is up to you how and what you eat. I have dealt intensively with the topic and there is no proper diet because everyone is different, every body reacts differently. What I don’t like is a judgment that is too quick. They say that everything is right and that everything is wrong. What has changed for me: I now eat less meat and pay more attention to the quality of the products, which is relatively easy in Switzerland. In addition, more vegetables are now on the plate.
What would you put under the Christmas tree for Hamilton, Leclerc, Verstappen and ex-partner Raikkonen?
SV: As a teammate, Charles gets a present from me anyway.
What?
SV: I can’t reveal that here, otherwise it’s no surprise. Lewis, Max and Kimi get a nice card from me like last year. And I probably won’t get an answer this time either.
Back to your intelligence again. You gave a moving speech in English at Silverstone to commemorate race director Charlie Whiting, who died in Australia in March. In front of all drivers, team leaders and the media. Applause has rarely been stronger.
SV: When you go through life awake, there are a lot of events that remind you of how well you really are. And Charlie’s death has shown how quickly things can change overnight. Of course, all of this affected us. And you can still feel the consequences. Even if the new people try to plug the holes, it does not mean that everything is running smoothly again.
Are you happily going into the relatively short winter break?
SV: Yes, I’m really happy. I really need a break after this hectic season. Sometimes you have the feeling that you are in rhythm and that the best is to keep going. But this is not the case this year.
Can you see yourself skiing on the Vorarlberg Alps again this winter?
SV: Yes, I’m sure I’m back on the boards. But this time I also want to go to Zermatt and the Jungfraujoch. I was there a few years ago and really enjoyed it there.
ri German driver Sebastian Vettel interview with blick.ch
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