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When Sebastian Vettel joined Ferrari before the 2015 Formula One season, he came with the dream of emulating the great Michael Schumacher against the Italian giants.
The appeal was easy to see for Vettel as his German teammate Schumacher won five consecutive titles in a glorious period between 2000 and 2004 with Scuderia, F1’s most famous franchise.
However, despite the signs of promise at times, there was a clear rift between the big dream and the harsh reality and Vettel, a four-time world champion with Red Bull, never met his own expectations.
Five years later, Vettel leaves with his future in F1 unclear. However, it was not all a disappointment, and here we take a look at the ups and downs of the 32-year-old with Ferrari.
HIGH
2015: Winning the Malaysian Grand Prix
The previous season had been grim for Ferrari, who failed to win a race the entire season. But in just the second round of 2015, Vettel provided the hope of an unlikely title challenge with dominant Mercedes when he defeated Lewis Hamilton in a direct fight for his first victory with the team. With Mercedes tires battling in the heat at Sepang, Vettel was able to succeed in a tactical fight. Things went as planned in the end with Hamilton beating teammate Nico Rosberg for the title, but Vettel was able to earn twice as much in a solid debut campaign.
2015: podium at Monza
Hamilton, after Mercedes was released from the tire pressure rules, earned a dominant victory at Monza that year. But Vettel secured a podium and was on the second echelon at the Ferrari home grand prix in his first outing with the team on the track, where he had won three times, as Rosberg’s pursuer had to withdraw due to a failure. engine three laps from the end. However, Vettel never won at Monza with Ferrari, whose nine-year drought in Italy was ended by Charles Leclerc in 2019.
2017: impressive return to Canada
While it was once again Hamilton’s celebration in Canada, it was the sixth time he had been on the highest echelon in Montreal, Vettel, who was leading the championship at the time, performed a blinding performance in a dramatic career. Forced to brake early due to a damaged front wing after contact with Max Verstappen earlier in the race, Vettel found himself in 18th place. However, a high-risk aggressive overtaking strategy saw him rebound sensationally to fourth. His pass from Force India Esteban Ocon was a particularly impressive move.
2018: brilliant in Bahrain
In his 200th F1 start, Vettel celebrated victory in a memorable battle for Bahrain. In a race in which his teammate Kimi Raikkonen collided with a mechanic in the pits, leaving the unfortunate crew member with a broken leg, Valtteri Bottas shoved Vettel hard and Hamilton struggled through the pack from the ninth since Mercedes chased an unlikely one-two. With his deteriorated tires and Bottas closing in, Vettel held on to complete a master class.
LOW
2016: second season without victories
There were promising moments in 2015, but Vettel’s second season with Scuderia was forgettable. Mercedes won all but two races when Rosberg finally brought down Hamilton to win his only F1 title (he would retire at the end of the season). Vettel finished fourth in the standings behind Daniel Ricciardo and was on the podium only seven times, as Ferrari was left with plenty to ponder.
2017: Japan’s retirement almost ends with title hopes
All signs were of a true title battle in 2017. Vettel led after the Belgian Grand Prix in August of that year and was only three points away when Hamilton triumphed in Italy. But an accident in Singapore was followed by engine problems in Malaysia, where he struggled from behind to finish fourth. However, more engine problems in Japan led to another retirement, as Hamilton held a 59-point lead with 100 remaining.
2019: Vettel on a spin during Monza’s nightmare
Last season was not one that Vettel will fondly remember. There was a controversial five-second penalty in Canada that downgraded him to second behind Hamilton after the stewards deemed he committed a dangerous driving act by pushing the Mercedes man off the track when he rejoined after running in curve three. At Monza, it was a nightmare for Vettel, who had the disgrace to see Leclerc end up waiting for Ferrari for Italian glory, in a moment of madness. After turning into the chicane Ascari, Vettel recklessly re-entered without looking and crashed at the Lance Stroll racing point. He was awarded a 10-second stop-go penalty, but he could have had a much bigger hassle.
2019: Double DNF after the clash with Leclerc in Brazil
Leclerc may have been in his debut season with Ferrari, but the young upstart clearly had no desire to play the second violin, and tensions were sometimes rife with Vettel last year. Things fell apart in Brazil when Leclerc made a good pass at turn one with five laps to go to the fourth. Vettel tried to return to turn four and had enough room on the outside, only to approach and collide with his teammate who led to a double DNF in a horror show for Ferrari.
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