Sebastian Vettel is “quite sure” his failure at Ferrari won’t haunt him for the rest of his life.
The four-time world champion joined the Scuderia with big ambitions in 2015, hoping to follow in the footsteps of his hero Michael Schumacher.
But despite 14 wins, the German’s six years at Maranello are perhaps better known for their disappointments, which many believe began when Vettel crashed out of his home race at Hockenheim while leading in 2018.
And after two poor years alongside Charles Leclerc, Ferrari opted not to renew his contract beyond last year, instead bringing in Carlos Sainz from McLaren.
“The title was the big thing, so for sure there’s something missing,” Vettel told Racer looking back. “But I’m quite sure I won’t be frustrated by it for the rest of my life.
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“I think everything happens for a reason. The good things happen for a reason, the bad things happen for a reason. The last six years, speaking of track performances and so on, I’ve learned a lot.
“It will help me for the rest of my path in Formula 1 and outside Formula 1 – about myself, about people. I’m definitely of the conviction that I leave richer than I was before.
“I don’t mean this financially or with more wins, but I think richer in experiences and things that will help me along the way.”
Despite initial talk of retirement, Vettel went on to sign at the Racing Point team, now known as Aston Martin, last September.
“I think very much that if one door shuts another one will open,” he explained. “Obviously it took a bit of time and it raised a lot of questions about which door I wanted to open.
“After what I’ve achieved in the sport, there was the time and the room – which I think is fair – to think of what you want to do next.
“It’s not that I had all of the teams of choice, but just in terms of what I want to do, more for the future, if I want to stay in Formula 1 or not. Obviously I’ve made my decision and opened the door.”
Many believe the move to Aston could reinvigorate Vettel and have drawn comparisons to Red Bull back in 2009, as a midfield team trying to get to the front of the grid.
But despite a substantial period in the intense environment at Ferrari, Seb doesn’t anticipate a huge change in the environment.
“I don’t think it will be that much,” he insisted. “I always managed things on my own. I mean I have people that are close and are helping me, don’t get me wrong, but I think I have never been pampered.
“I see that as a privilege: I can lead my life, I know what to look out for and so on, and I don’t need to have people holding my hand.”
At 33, however, and with the signs of age starting to show as a new semi-bald Seb was recently revealed, how much longer does he expect to stay in F1?
“I’m quite rational in these things. I look at it, and I don’t see myself in Formula 1 when I’m 40,” he admitted.
“I will have a couple of years. But we’re not looking at 10 more years, so I think you need to be aware of that.”