Four-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel has raced alongside various teammates during his F1 career, but Charles Leclerc’s two years together in Ferrari F1 show him a younger self. Looking back, it seemed like
Sebastian Vettel welcomed Charles Leclerc as a teammate in 2019 when he was at Ferrari. The two drivers quickly worked well together. However, the collaboration occurred at very different moments in their respective F1 careers.
Charles Leclerc’s talent was in his second season in F1, but the word ‘retirement’ lurked in Sebastian Vettel’s mind after a difficult few years at Ferrari. had started.
“In 2017 we had a great car, but it wasn’t enough,” Sebastian Vettel said on F1’s BeyondTheGrid podcast.
“In 2018 we had a great car, but in the end it fell short again. Both years we were devastated because we weren’t able to keep up with the pace of development and just went backwards.”
“2019 was a bit of a different year. The start of the season, at least for me, didn’t give me the momentum to feel like, ‘Okay, let’s do it again.'”
“So I started thinking about what really went wrong in the last few years. Maybe I was thinking too much. At the same time Charles came in.”
Charles Leclerc had nearly won his second race for Ferrari in Bahrain. Leclerc’s ambition was to become a Grand Prix winner, but Sebastian Vettel had bigger ambitions.
“My goal wasn’t just to win races, I did it,” said Sebastian Vettel.
“My goal was to win the championship, the ideal way to win the championship, which is to win a lot of races.”
“Maybe I lost a little bit of myself in the process, maybe the racing here and there wasn’t the best.”
“I would say some races were pretty good, but even so, the lessons I learned were more important.”
“Then, of course, in 2020, the pandemic happened and there was room for that voice to get louder in me.”
“It’s interesting, but I call it life. I think we all go through it in some way. I’m no exception, I’m nothing special.”
But looking back on the two seasons he spent with Charles Leclerc, Sebastian Vettel said he “really enjoyed” the time he shared with the now five-time Grand Prix winner.
“[Leclerc]was at a very different time in his career and in his life,” said Vettel.
“It was interesting to watch him and I think we got along very well.”
“I really enjoyed the time we spent together.”
“He taught me a few things, not necessarily about driving. It was like watching myself when I was younger. It took me a while to figure it out.
Category: F1 / Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari / Charles Leclerc