15/02/2019
NEWS STORY
Such was Daniel Ricciardo's pace and determination, Sebastian Vettel was left totally overwhelmed, and when he left Red Bull at the end of 2014 it was clear the German's reputation (and pride) had been somewhat damaged.
Having enjoyed four seasons with Kimi Raikkonen as a willing 'wingman', Vettel looks set to be under pressure again this year following the arrival of Charles Leclerc.
While many have risen through the ranks only to fail at the final hurdle, Charles Leclerc's debuts season in F1 made clear that the young Monegasque is something special.
Speaking at today's unveiling of the car with which he aims to take that next big step, the only sign of nervousness was the slight stutter as he spoke in front of the assembled guests and the millions of fans around the world watching via the Internet.
"Nervous? No," he insisted, when asked about his feelings ahead of such an important stage in his career. "I think it's more of an opportunity for me to be next to Sebastian, who is such a champion and I can definitely learn a lot from him.
"I'm pretty sure it will be an amazing season," he continued. "The key will be to work altogether but I'm sure we'll make it."
"I'm extremely excited to start this new adventure," he grinned, "obviously it has been a dream since childhood. I'm always looking at the red car, hoping to one day be in it. It is a very emotional day for me.
"I've been part of the Ferrari Academy for some years now, which has helped me massively to develop as a driver with the final goal of one day having this seat. Now it is happening so it is a very proud day for me today and I'm extremely excited to start this new adventure."
Check out our Ferrari SF90 reveal gallery, here.