12/09/2020
NEWS STORY
For many, certainly the man himself, Sebastian Vettel's move to Ferrari in 2015 was the dream, after all he was beginning a journey made by his boyhood hero, Michael Schumacher.
Like Schumacher before him, he dreamed of pulling the team together, lifting it from its slump, and If he could win just one title with the Maranello outfit, Vettel believed it would be the pinnacle of his career.
Alas, it was not to be, despite the near-misses of 2017 and 2018, things subsequently began fall apart, the situation not helped by continuing strategic mistakes by the team and errors from the German. The arrival of Charles Leclerc didn't help matters, and as the Monegasque found his feet at Maranello, so the relationship between Vettel and 'his' team began to fall apart.
Dropped by Ferrari before the current season had actually begun, the relationship has clearly deteriorated, and amidst increasing speculation the former warmth between Vettel and the team has been replaced by polite acknowledgment.
Nonetheless, as the relationship comes to an end, the German insists he has no regrets.
"I joined Ferrari not just to join Ferrari and not just win races, but to win championships and win in the right way," he said.
"Obviously, in that regard, you can say we have failed," he continued, "we didn't win the championship.
"I think we had good moments and highlights that I wouldn't want to miss," he added. "I've got to know people that really helped me. I've got to make friends, potentially for life. So I wouldn't want to miss.
"I don't regret the years that I've spent with Ferrari. They are a big part of my life. In the very beginning Ferrari has a special place, the way I grew up looking at Michael, him racing at Ferrari.
"For sure, I wanted to do better than what I did. But I've certainly tried everything. We had good times, also bad times, but it's probably part of it and now probably for both sides, it's time to move on."
Check out our Saturday gallery from Mugello, here.