"It's time to realize the Ferrari dream"

Behind that armor, raised to protect itself from the side effects that today is Sebastian Vettel, there is a man known by very few people.

We must not confuse formality and confidentiality with a "cold" approach, because the thirty-year-old of Heppenheim is not cold. Indeed, observing Seb (so he is called by everyone in Ferrari) season after season the impression is that of a person driven by a strong passion, which results in an absolute determination.

He has won a lot in a very short time, entering the Olympus of the Formula 1 greats with important figures: a World Cup poker completed in 2013, then twelve months after the official start of his story with Ferrari, a couple that will celebrate the next weekend the 100th Grand Prix together.

Since he has been in the red Vettel has often had to deal with his palmares, a prisoner of a status that has proved an aggravating circumstance on days to forget.

Seb never speaks at random, and on the central stand of the Mexico City circuit he answered Motorsport.com questions without filters, revealing a newfound serenity from body language and facial expression.

Vettel loves Ferrari, and Ferrari seems to like it too, as shown by the effort made to put him in a position to do his best. And now that the circle has closed, the maximum that Vettel can give has been revised: an added value of a four-time world champion who still has a lot to say.

Sebastian Vettel interviewed in Mexico City by Roberto Chinchero

Photo by: Ferrari

Let's step back to the winter tests. There was an atmosphere of great trust in the team …
"Yes, it was a positive moment."

When and where did you realize that it would not be possible to reach the goal of the world title?
"We had a fantastic first day of testing, the car was really good, both in the feeling and in the comparison with the other single-seaters. There was a certain euphoria outside, but in the team we have always been quiet ”.

"The second week of testing was more realistic with regards to our potential and I believe that, over the test period, especially Red Bull and Mercedes, they have settled down every day, arriving only at the end of the tests to the real value framework. in the field".

Did you already understand the situation at the end of the test?
"To be honest it was a surprise to find ourselves struggling with unexpected difficulties in Australia, but the situation was not immediately clear, because in the next appointment in Bahrain we went very well, only to have difficulties in China again."

"We were surprised by this sequence of ups and downs, but after four or five races the picture became clearer and especially after Barcelona we realized that we were not fast enough".

"At that point we rolled up our sleeves, we also realized that we were not where we wanted to be, and instead of fighting against our opponents we had to fight ourselves. The Mercedes GP after GP has achieved excellent results, while we were struggling with understanding and solving our problems and it was not possible to do it overnight, but we understood that ".

How difficult is it to face the moment when you understand that it won't be a season with world ambitions?
"From a certain point of view, you immediately understand what is happening. Then there is a reaction, try not to accept the state of things and try to prove the opposite, but race after race you always come back to reality, try again and the same result comes, as if you didn't want to accept the state of things, not wanting to see them as they are, and it's not a good feeling ”.

"But in the end you have to give up, after four or five races you come to admit:" okay, this is. Perhaps it is better to elaborate these situations gradually, I believe that suddenly understanding that you will not be part of the game, for me it would be harder, but let us clarify, it is however an unpleasant situation ”.

So far you've driven five Ferrari cars. For the general public there are five 'red' ones, they are all Ferrari, but how important is it to immediately find the right feeling with a car that every year is actually unknown?
"Very important. There are those who say "ah, nowadays the pilot doesn't make the difference" … well, I don't agree. If you feel comfortable in the car, if you feel you have everything under control, then you can make a big difference, but you need the right car, you need the right tools, you need the team, you need the team to work well, you need development to go in the right direction, you need … whatever, you have to do everything you can to feel at home when you get in the car ".

"And in this regard, the first day of testing for the winter tests was very good. Then we lost that feeling, and we fought long and hard to find it, and this phase certainly didn't help to extract everything possible from the car ”.

"But I immediately had a clear idea of ​​what was missing, thanks also to the experience of previous seasons, but we had no idea how to find the solution to the problem. And even when we identified the appropriate remedies, it took some time to put them in the car, it wasn't enough to push a button ".

Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari SF90, answers the questions during our interview

Photo by: Ferrari

Was it an unnerving wait?
"These things take time, but it's worth it. To get performance you need a car that is really fast and the right feeling transmitted to the driver to allow him to make the most of it ".

Has the breakthrough come with the introduction of technical developments in Singapore?
"Yes exactly".

Did the news erase frontline problems that didn't go well with your driving style?
"Not exactly, I think it's generally a matter of trust. A driver wants to understand the behavior of the car, foresee his reactions in various situations, and when he creates this feeling you can anticipate, predict. "

"You know, one could argue about one point, which is that total control of a car is only an illusion. But I think you can really predict the behavior of a car when you trust it, if you create this picture you can extract more from yourself and from the car, or from the whole package ".

On the Thursday before the Singapore Grand Prix the questions in your press conference were oriented towards a possible withdrawal. Three days later you won the race and everything went on file. How difficult is it to manage these situations and the speed with which the perception of your figure changes from the outside?
"Let's say that the difficult part is being able to not listen, but it is a general discourse that goes beyond our context. The world is moving very fast, everything is accelerated including the time when people build an opinion, not only in Formula 1, of course. Let's say that Formula 1 is aligned with the rest of the world, that is to other sports, politics, etc. etc. "

Easy opinions?
"It's a nightmare, every day we judge differently, we change our mind. Personally I don't find this approach credible, because if you really believe in something you can't change your mind from one day to the next, unless you obviously have a reason. "

"But there are those who still return it the next night. Returning to the initial question, it is not so difficult to manage these situations, because you know that opinions change very quickly. Sometimes, however, they can create tensions, there may be situations in which certain judgments or opinions impact on the team, because the team is made up of people passionate about this sport, and it is normal for an enthusiast to follow what is said and written, and this sometimes does not help ".

"If something negative happens, it takes some time to get it out of people's minds, but it can also be fun to see that three days ago they tell you everything is bad and three days later that everything is great. In my case it does not cause me problems, I have been here for a long time, and I have already experienced ups and downs ".

In the history of Formula 1 there are few drivers who have disobeyed a team order. The famous "no" by Carlos Reutemann, Rene Arnoux, and in this list you also entered …
"I never said no …".

We remember well the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix, and your ‘no’ order to maintain second position behind Webber, the famous “Multi 21” via-radio code message that you ignored by winning the race …
"Oh yes. Yes. (Vettel smiles) ".

Do you think there are days when a driver has to say ‘No’ out of respect for his career and his sporting history?
"Yes, but I think it's difficult, especially nowadays. Formula 1 in the last 20 years has become a team sport, if you compare it to the 70s, 80s, or early 90s, then the pilot was the main figure, obviously he had a team around him, but it was the leader".

"I believe that today a pilot has much more responsibility deriving from the work carried out by the people in the team, professionals who help and support you. In the case of Ferrari, it is right to remember that it is the biggest team in the world, the team comes first of all, including the driver ”.

"There are situations in which you are in the car and it is difficult to have the complete picture of a situation, you cannot see everything, so I think it really depends on the situation you are in, and it is also difficult to say" he was right or wrong "about it to such a choice ".

"For example, if we take the situation that I lived with Mark (Webber), we must consider that we have worked together for many years, and I don't think we worked very well together (Seb smiles …) and then the day came when I was asked to do something, but I never had a favor before that time … ".

"Why should I have done this? It was a special situation, and I believe that in the end, as you said, it ends up thinking about yourself, defending what you believe is right and proper. In that circumstance with Mark … it was a different story. "

Roberto Chinchero interviews Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari SF90

Photo by: Ferrari

In Formula 1 the generation of pilots born in 1997 exploded, ten years younger than you. Do you think these guys have a different attitude, more aggressive, or is it only the young age that leads them to dare?
"They are much more committed to looking at mobile phones, this is a big difference, but it is also an approach linked to their generation. Apart from this aspect, I don't think that the basic ingredients have changed, in the end you have to be fast, and Max, Charles and George (Russell) who now drives a single-seater that doesn't allow him to show his skills, are fast guys ”.

"I wasn't surprised, because they were already very fast guys, it was pretty clear that they had something special and we knew that a very interesting generation of drivers was coming."

"If you ask those who worked with them a year ago, they will confirm that they were special boys, and it's nice to see that they have arrived in the major motorsport category. This is a complex sport, very expensive, and it's not always easy to separate talent from opportunities, so when I see that some guys who deserve to make it to Formula 1 I'm happy, it's a positive message. "

"There have been cases where a young driver had the skills to aim high but found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the opportunity was missing, so I like to know that there are the right names in the places that they deserve".

Lewis is about to conquer the sixth World title. Can we consider him one of the greatest of all time?
"Is it right, how can we think differently? For me it is very clear, it absolutely is. He has been in this sport for a long time, and he is one of the most successful drivers. After Michael, I believe it is right to make his name, although obviously the judgments are personal ”.

"Formula 1 today has changed, there are many more races, and consequently you have the chance to win more than in the past, which is why I believe it is not correct to compare the achievements, to name names like Ascari or Fangio. Every driver must be judged in his time, and Lewis is undoubtedly a great professional who stood out among all the drivers of his generation. "

You have repeatedly stated that you have dreamed of driving a Ferrari since you were a kid. How different is reality compared to the dream you have come true?
"In the dream everything is always perfect, everything works like … in dreams. I still believe in my dream, I still believe that it will work, even if the reality is always different, there are no magic "clicks" that make everything work miraculously ".

"We have had good seasons, played great races, but on the whole it was not and is not enough. We have not been as close to our opponents as we wanted, we have not won enough points and so on, because the real world is getting harder ”.

"But I want to emphasize that I am happy with the reality I am experiencing, as a team we are progressing and we are doing it in the right direction. It is up to us to take the last step, the final step we have tried to make over the last two or three years ”.

"I don't regret anything, because I'm still in that dream, I know I drive the most prestigious single-seater on the grid, and for me it's still a great honor. Then it's up to us to make the most prestigious single-seater even the fastest. ”

Seeing the progress the team has made this year comes to believe that in 2020 you will start from an excellent base. Do you agree with this vision?
"The car of the next season will be an evolution of the current car, and it could not be otherwise given that the regulations are the same and the problems solved this year should be the guarantee of having a better car from the first steps. I expect an optimization, but also the desire to find more spaces in which to look for further performance ".

By now it lacks very little to the formalization of the technical and sporting rules that will give shape to the Formula 1 of 2021. How do you see it?
"We have seen that the stability of the regulations tends to bring the group of teams fighting for victory closer, but there are those who could argue that this tendency is for the only three teams that are in fact competing for victories, since the gap with mid-table teams are always consistent ”.

"It would be very nice to have a larger group of teams able to aim for victory, but I am also convinced that with any regulation it would come into force, we will always have in front of us the best teams and the best drivers."

“It would be fascinating to have a large number of teams able to win, a scenario that can offer even mid-table teams a special weekend to be able to aim for the podium, but from what I know at the moment it is not yet completely defined what we will see in 2021 ".

Are you optimistic about the possibility that the future may marry this line?
"I do not know. I hope that in the end a project is launched for the sake of sport. Beyond the color you wear, I think Formula 1 as it is today is too expensive, huge figures are spent on performance research, and it wouldn't be bad if this process were simplified. "

"It's not a simple step, because there is a thin line between maintaining the DNA of Formula 1 and trying to compact the performance of the teams, I don't think we want to see a Formula 1 with single-seaters and identical engines, because it wouldn't be Formula 1, but as I said something must be done, otherwise it will be very difficult to manage the future and the challenges that await this sport ".

Do you plan to finish your Formula 1 career at the wheel of a Ferrari or is there room for other challenges?
"I don't like looking too far. Maybe my decisions will be made after studying the rules that will be launched for the future and I will definitely decide what to do next year. "