The passage of Sebastián Vettel for Ferrari was not the one expected by the world of Formula 1. Since he arrived at the Italian team in 2015, the German did not finish completing a season in which he had a real chance of fighting for a new drivers’ title or builders. Beyond having won three races in its inaugural year, Mercedes’ own poor performances accompanied by growth generated a lethal combo for the aspirations of the iconic Maranello-based team.
Last weekend the last Grand Prix of 2020 was held at the Abu Dhabi circuit and, as it happened throughout the season, the result was not positive for the Ferraris. Charles Leclerc and Vettel finished 13th and 14th respectively, one lap behind the winner of the event, the Dutchman Max Verstappen. Beyond the final result of the year, especially the German suffered throughout the campaign with an unreliable car that was never competitive. This was determined by his ranking in the runner’s championship won for the seventh time by the British Lewis Hamilton.
Vettel became the driver who scored the fewest points in the last decade aboard a Ferrari in the top flight of world motorsport. Since the new scoring system was introduced in 2010 that awards 25 points to the winner of the competitions, the German only managed to add 33 points in his final season in the Italian team. He finished 13th and edged out Russian Daniil Kvyat of AlphaTauri by one point. In addition, he was 65 units from Monegasque Leclerc, his teammate, and 314 from champion Hamilton.
Despite not having achieved the goal of winning his fifth drivers’ title in Formula 1 at the command of a Ferrari – he was champion between 2010 and 2013 – and before facing the 2021 season sitting in the Aston Martin armchair, Vettel himself He took the opportunity to say goodbye to the historic team.
“I’m not usually a very emotional person, but today was different. It is a day that I will always remember, not because I finished 14th, but because of the significance of the day. It is a day that I will treasure. It is goodbye to many friends. Somehow, I fell in love in the last few years, so I will miss them, ”said the German.
In addition, Vettel took a few minutes to wish him the best of success in the future to the one who was his teammate until the last test. “For Charles, you are the most talented driver I have come across in my 15 years in Formula 1. Don’t waste it, but make sure that whatever you do you are always going to be happy and you are going to smile. Thank you for everything, ”Vettel wrote on his white helmet in the colors of the German flag that he gave to Leclerc.
The history of the four-time F1 champion at Ferrari marks that he triumphed in 14 of the 118 Grand Prix in which he participated in the classic red car. He was runner-up in 2017 and 2018, Vettel’s best years in the Prancing Horse, who could not beat Hamilton and had to settle for finishing second in the championship.
“I have learned a lot from you as a person and as a driver in these last two years. Thank you for pushing me to improve all the time, it has been an honor to be your teammate and I sincerely wish you the best. You are top as a driver and as a person ”, were the words Leclerc used to say goodbye to a Vettel who will seek to regain his lost place in the Formula 1 grid at the head of another team. (GG) (Infobae)