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The 33-year-old German, who joined Ferrari in 2015, offered an honest and realistic assessment of his time in Italy, despite winning 14 races, when he admitted that his goal had been to claim a fifth title.
German Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel. Image: @ ScuderiaFerrari / Twitter
ABU DHABI – Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel hopes to say goodbye to Ferrari with a smile on Sunday, but has admitted that his six years in Italy ultimately end in tears of failure.
The 33-year-old German, who joined Ferrari in 2015, offered an honest and realistic assessment of his time in Italy, despite winning 14 races, when he admitted that his goal had been to claim a fifth title.
That total made him the third most successful driver in team history behind seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, with 72 wins, and Niki Lauda with 15.
But emulating his idol Schumacher as the winner of the Ferrari title had been his goal.
“It doesn’t change anything, we have still failed,” he told reporters.
“We had the ambition to win the championship and we didn’t.
“We were faced with a very strong team-driver combination, one of the strongest we’ve seen so far, but our aim was to be stronger than that and in this sense we failed.
“There are many reasons why, but in the big picture, I think it’s not unfair. It’s just the truth. There’s nothing wrong with saying it out loud.”
He rejected a suggestion that the pressures of expectation from the ‘tifosi’ had contributed to the team’s failures.
“The pressure in Italy? The fans and so forth, yes, it’s there, but in the end I always set myself the highest expectations and I think I was the first and best judge if I didn’t meet them,” he said. additional.
“So rest assured, when I put the car in the gravel in Germany [2018], I was not happy before the ‘tifosi’ were not happy …
Vettel will join Racing Point, rebranded Aston Martin next year, and believes he has benefited from his experiences with Ferrari.
“Everything that happened has happened for a reason. The main thing on my side is to make sure that I learned from it and I think I have grown with it.
“In general, I feel much more comfortable, or in a better place now, than all those years ago, but it certainly hasn’t always been easy and straightforward.”
Vettel’s move to the Silverstone-based team means Mexico’s Sergio Perez, who claimed his first F1 victory at the Sakhir Grand Prix last Sunday, faces an uncertain future.
Their only hope of getting a seat next season is with Red Bull if they decide not to retain Alex Albon.
“I have some good options for the 22nd,” Perez said. “So if I have to stop, it’s not a disaster.”
Others on the move after Sunday’s final include Daniel Ricciardo, who switches teams from Renault to McLaren, and Carlos Sainz, who is leaving McLaren to replace Vettel at Ferrari.
Haas is changing both drivers. Kevin Magnussen is out after Sunday after Romain Grosjean, who has already left, who returned home after his incredible escape from a high-speed fireball at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Daniil Kvyat is also expected to leave Alpha Tauri, where Japanese Yuki Tsunoda is set to replace him in the Honda team.
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