Scuderia Ferrari German driver Sebastian Vettel speaks about his time with the Maranello team, how he is experiencing the exit and Charles Leclerc:
What will you miss the most about Ferrari after your departure?
Vettel: “The passion that comes from this brand. And the friends that I have made during those years. But even if I will not wear red anymore, I will still see them. That is great.”
How would you sum up the ending of your Ferrari story? Is it like a love story ending in a bad way?
Vettel: “I don’t know. Difficult to say. I have no regrets regarding the years I have spent with them.”
Do you understand the decision now?
Vettel: “It doesn’t matter in the end. I have accepted the decision. When Mattia called I knew, by the sound of his voice, that I couldn’t do anything to make him change his mind. There was no point trying to convince him. It took me time to digest it, to understand what I wanted to do next. I don’t see myself still in F1 when I am 40, but I do think I can still give something, especially with everything I have done in the sport.”
Was the call from Mattia, telling you you won’t be part of Ferrari next year, painful?
Vettel: “More than feeling pain I was confused. Till this call we were talking about extending my contract. The decision not to keep me came from nowhere. I wish they had talked to me before or at least mentioning it sooner. I understand why the team need to move on. I need to do the same but it changed the season even before it started because everyone knew that I was no longer part of Ferrari’s future.”
Has the reality been up to your expectation?
Vettel: “Well, I had the ambition to win the title with Ferrari and we failed, so on that point I will say no. Back in 2018, we were not that optimistic, because Mercedes had a very powerful engine but our car was good. And to be honest finishing 2nd in the Constructors Championship in that year was a nice reward.”
Do you still remember your emotions when you joined Ferrari in 2015?
Vettel: “Yes, we were facing a new project. Like every beginning there was a lot of hope and passion. I was very excited to start this new adventure to discover the factory, the people, the car. You can also add my love for the brand and the admiration that I’ve always had for Michael to that.”
Prost said that when Senna came to McLaren he felt the love of the team left him. Did you feel the same with Charles Leclerc?
Vettel: “Not really. I never had any problems with Charles. I even enjoyed working with him very much. We all know he is the future of Ferrari. I feel like I still have the same relationship with the people that have been working with me since the first day. Of course with me leaving there will be some distance but nothing dramatic.”
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