F1 | Vettel retraces his past at Ferrari, including “some little fights and battles”
During the F1 podcast Beyond the Grid, Sebastian Vettel talked about the previous feuds he had “behind the scenes” at Ferrari.
This will be Sebastian Vettel's last year in Ferrari, as the Italian team has decided not to renew the German driver's expiring contract after a disappointing 18-month period. His post will be filled by Carlos Sainz Jr starting in 2021.
In 2017 and 2018, Sebastian Vettel finished second in the championship and scored 14 victories with Ferrari.
Vettel, in turn, will take the seat from the Mexican driver, Sergio Perez, aboard Aston Martin Racing in 2021.
The German driver admitted that he had no regrets regarding his five-year stint at Ferrari, although he said his time with the Ferrari team was a failure.
During the F1 podcast “Beyond the Grid” Vettel said: “It is true that I have failed because I set myself the mission or the target to win the championship with Ferrari,
“I have failed. I didn't manage to do that.”
“There's things that I should have done better, things that maybe I should have seen earlier, fights that maybe I shouldn't have picked,” he stated that he could have done things differently.
“But, then again, I think everything that happened brought me to where I am now. If I'm fair and harsh then I have failed. Were there reasons? Probably yes, but I don't accept them as excuses. So, whatever happened also put me on the next step forward and next level.
“Maybe the fights weren't worth fighting, but then again part of it is probably my nature. And I think I had a point as well in some of these little fights and battles. But I think ultimately that's how you mature and how you learn. I'm happy to move on.”
Vettel's focus now shifts to his future Formula 1 team, Racing Point, which will change its name to Aston Martin Racing at the start of the 2021 F1 season.
He also claimed his participation in a "fun project" after team owner Lawrence Stroll convinced him to join and explained the reasons that led him to join the English team.
“I think those boxes were quite easy to tick in terms of the performance, the racing side of things, where the team is, where the team might be, the potential and so on,
“And it sounds like a fun project, and something that ultimately I decided I want to be part of. It is very different to Ferrari, obviously Racing Point as it stands today and in the future Aston Martin will be growing.
“There will be a lot of things happening for the first time, and I think it's an incredible challenging journey for the whole team. And me joining I hope I can contribute a lot of things and do good in the car and outside the car.” he concluded.
