Sebastian Vettel has opened up about the pressure, fear of failure and lack of enjoyment he experienced during his six seasons with Ferrari, revealing how the atmosphere inside the team contributed to a missed opportunity. The four-time Formula 1 world champion also recalled his unusual attempt to introduce music into the Ferrari garage and admitted that the team’s decision not to renew his contract at the end of 2020 left him feeling personally responsible for his departure.
Speaking in the German documentary series Essere Sebastian Vettel, broadcast by ARD, the former Ferrari driver reflected on some of the most difficult moments of his career at Maranello. His comments offer an insight into the internal pressures surrounding the Italian team during a period when expectations of winning the Formula 1 World Championship remained exceptionally high.
Sebastian Vettel’s six years at Ferrari and the championship that never came
Looking back at Sebastian Vettel’s time with Ferrari, there remains a strong sense of unfinished business. The German joined the Scuderia in 2015 and spent six seasons pursuing the world title, hoping to follow in the footsteps of his close friend and childhood hero Michael Schumacher.
Despite finishing runner-up in the Drivers’ Championship twice and third on another occasion, Sebastian Vettel never managed to bring the world title back to Maranello. His Ferrari career included some memorable victories and genuine championship challenges, but the ultimate objective remained out of reach.
Six years after leaving the Italian team, Sebastian Vettel still ranks third on Ferrari’s all-time list of Grand Prix winners. Only two of the most celebrated names in the manufacturer’s history, Michael Schumacher and Niki Lauda, have achieved more victories for the Scuderia.
With 14 Grand Prix wins for Ferrari, the four-time world champion remains ahead of Alberto Ascari, Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa and Kimi Räikkönen in the team’s historical victory standings. His complete achievements can also be explored through the Sebastian Vettel Ferrari and Formula 1 career statistics, which include his victories, podiums, pole positions and championship results.
Ferrari drivers with at least 10 Grand Prix victories
| Position | Driver | Ferrari seasons | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Schumacher | 1996–2006 | 72 |
| 2 | Niki Lauda | 1974–1977 | 15 |
| 3 | Sebastian Vettel | 2015–2020 | 14 |
| 4 | Alberto Ascari | 1950–1954 | 13 |
| 5 | Felipe Massa | 2006–2013 | 11 |
| 5 | Fernando Alonso | 2010–2014 | 11 |
| 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | 2007–2009, 2014–2018 | 10 |
The ambition to emulate Michael Schumacher was particularly meaningful for Sebastian Vettel, whose admiration for the seven-time world champion extended well beyond their shared nationality. The former Ferrari driver has repeatedly spoken about Michael Schumacher’s legacy and his influence on a generation of Formula 1 drivers.
Sebastian Vettel reveals why he brought a speaker into Ferrari’s garage
One of the most revealing moments in the documentary concerns the working environment Sebastian Vettel encountered during his Ferrari years. The German believed something important was missing from the team’s approach, particularly when compared with the atmosphere he had experienced earlier in his career.
Recalling a meeting with Ferrari personnel, Sebastian Vettel explained in comments reported by F1-Insider: “During a meeting, I told them: ‘I have enormous respect for everything we do here and for what you do. But compared with where I came from, we’re still missing one ingredient: fun.'”
The four-time world champion even decided to take matters into his own hands by purchasing a speaker so that Italian music could be played throughout the Ferrari garage. It was a small gesture intended to introduce something different into an environment where the pressure to deliver results was constantly present.
“I don’t know if they still have it, but at first it was forbidden,” Sebastian Vettel recalled.
The anecdote illustrates how the former Ferrari driver viewed the working atmosphere at Maranello. While the team had the ambition and commitment required to compete at the highest level, Sebastian Vettel felt that greater enjoyment was needed alongside the intensity of the competition.
Fear of failure created an atmosphere of pressure at Ferrari
For Sebastian Vettel, the absence of enjoyment was closely connected to a deeper problem: the fear of making mistakes and the consequences of disappointing results. The pressure surrounding Ferrari, combined with the enormous expectations placed on the organisation, created an atmosphere he now believes was too cautious.
“Under pressure and with all those expectations, there was an enormous fear of failure. I would ask myself: ‘What will happen on Monday if the race doesn’t go well? Will they come down on me?’ As an organisation, we were too hesitant and timid, and we missed an opportunity.”
His reflections suggest that the constant concern about potential failure affected the team’s willingness to act decisively. Rather than focusing only on the disappointment of missing out on the championship, Sebastian Vettel identified the internal environment as an important part of why Ferrari failed to fulfil its ambitions during his time there.
The German’s comments also provide another perspective on a period marked by intense scrutiny of the Scuderia’s performance. Although Sebastian Vettel achieved 14 victories with Ferrari, the team was ultimately unable to convert its championship challenges into the world title that both driver and manufacturer had been pursuing.
Sebastian Vettel admits he blamed himself after Ferrari’s 2020 decision
Another emotional moment came when Sebastian Vettel discussed how he reacted to Ferrari’s decision not to extend his contract beyond the 2020 season. The Italian team instead chose Carlos Sainz as his replacement, bringing the German’s six-year spell at Maranello to an end.
Rather than immediately distancing himself from the decision, Sebastian Vettel admitted that he initially interpreted the outcome as a personal failure. The disappointment was particularly difficult because of the expectations he had carried throughout his Ferrari career and the championship objective he had been unable to achieve.
“At that moment, I was struck by the realisation that I had failed, that I hadn’t secured a contract renewal. I blamed myself for a long time,” Sebastian Vettel revealed.
His admission provides a personal perspective on a departure that marked the end of an important chapter in Ferrari’s recent Formula 1 history. Sebastian Vettel subsequently reflected on the relationships and memories he had built at Maranello, including the passion and emotional connection he experienced during his six years with Ferrari.
Although the partnership never delivered the Drivers’ World Championship, Sebastian Vettel’s latest reflections make clear how deeply the experience affected him. Beyond the victories and missed opportunities, his memories of Ferrari remain shaped by the pressure to succeed, the atmosphere within the team and the personal disappointment of leaving without accomplishing the goal that had brought him to Maranello.
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