It never really clicked at Ferrari for Sebastian Vettel. Now racing for a new team, which has just undergone a major rebrand, the German veteran driver tells DW he is looking forward to a fresh start.
Aston Martin's Sebastian Vettel believes he's a better driver than James BondImage: Glenn Dunbar/Aston Martin/dpa/picture alliance
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After a disappointing end to his six-season tenure at Ferrari, Sebastian Vettel is looking to get back on track, eyes firmly fixed on the future.
"I'm not too bothered about Ferrari," the four-time world champion told DW.
"Much more, I'm looking to extract the maximum of our potential and that we are able to grow as a team. I'm confident we can overtake more than one Ferrari this season. I don't really spend time looking back, I'm spending time looking forward to the new challenge, trying to find that little detail that can help us improve."
Vettel's new chapter
The team he has chosen to represent next is itself undergoing another fresh start, following its third rebrand in as many years. Aston Martin, famed for being the car of choice for the James Bond franchise, is marking its return to the grid after a 61-year hiatus.
"I'm not James Bond and I'm sure I will drive a lot faster than James Bond does. I think we both will as we are better drivers than him."
Vettel and teammate Lance Stroll are drivers with proven podium pedigree, but that's only half the battle. Last season, the team then still known as Racing Point had the grid's third-fastest set of wheels, but finished fourth in the constructors' championship.
With the rebrand, the team are swapping out last season's RP20, dubbed the "pink Mercedes", for a AMR21 British racing green model that is largely based on the German manufacturer's 2019 title-winning model.
Aston Martin drivers Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel unveil the AMR21Image: Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team/dpa/picture alliance
For Vettel, it's a chance to change the narrative after disappointing in his final season with Ferrari, finishing 13th in the drivers' rankings with just one podium finish – his worst full season ever.
"I think unofficially we are aiming for that third place in the constructors' standings but the midfield is very tight, the favorites are set, and it will be a very difficult season for many reasons. To bring Aston Martin back to F1 is great so maybe their first podium finish and their first win could be a real milestone."
No Stroll in the park
His teammate Lance Stroll kept his seat with Sergio Perez joining Red Bull. The fact that his father, billionaire Lawrence Stroll, is chairman and part-owner of both the team and Aston Martin strengthens his position with Aston Martin, but he rejects any notion of nepotism.
Stroll more than doubled Vettel's points tally last season. His three podium finishes only scratch the surface though, as the 22-year-old rightly points out that he could even have claimed his first Grand Prix win.
"There were some opportunities to win a race on my part that we missed out on in Turkey, in Bahrain and in Monza," Stroll told DW. "It really goes to show our potential going into this season. We made so much progress from 2019 to 2020, so this year is just another big opportunity for us."
Aston Martin have taken the shaken, not stirred approach to their rebrand and when the Formula 1 season starts with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 28, it'll be another chance to make a first impression, albeit without spectators.
"In all honesty it feels a bit dull," Vettel said. "You're missing the people, missing the vibe and the atmosphere around the whole race for the entire weekend. You're missing that extra excitement, life around the track. Similar to other sports and events in culture, we can't wait to get the audience back."
Sebastian Vettel to Aston Martin: A look at his F1 career
Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel will race for the newly rebranded Aston Martin works team in 2021 and beyond at the end of his sixth season with Ferrari. DW looks back at the German driver's F1 career.
Image: Reuters/K. Pfaffenbach
Teaming up with Aston Martin
Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel will remain in F1 beyond this season after signing with Racing Point, who will rebrand as Aston Martin F1 Team from 2021. "I am pleased to finally share this exciting news about my future," said the German, who will see out the last of his six seasons with Ferrari in 2020. "It’s a new adventure for me with a truly legendary car company."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Zuma/D. Oliveira
F1 breakthrough with Sauber
The German driver's F1 career began with BMW Sauber. After spending most of the 2006 season in Formula Three, he became a test driver for Sauber in 2007. At the United States Grand Prix, the 19-year-old became the youngest driver in F1 history to score a point after replacing the injured Robert Kubica — Daniil Kvyat broke his record in 2014.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/K. Okten
Toro Rosso triumph
Midway through the 2007 season, Vettel got his first permanent spot in F1 with Scuderia Toro Rosso, a feeder team for Red Bull Racing. The German gave the Italian outfit its first-ever race win at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix. The victory also made the 19-year-old the youngest-ever F1 race winner — a record Red Bull's Max Verstappen broke in 2016 when he won the Spanish Grand Prix aged 18.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/R. Ghement
Four straight championships
Vettel achieved even greater heights when he moved up the grid to Red Bull Racing in 2009. After becoming the youngest world champion in 2010, he went on to win three more with Red Bull in 2011, 2012 and 2013. He clinched his fourth title after winning six consecutive races, the final one at the Indian Grand Prix on the outskirts of New Delhi.
Image: Reuters
Comparisons to Schumacher
Vettel's four consecutive championships put him in the same bracket as another German great, Michael Schumacher (right). Vettel's rise inevitably drew comparisons with the F1 legend, who won seven world titles including five straight from 2000 to 2004 with Ferrari. "When I was a kid, Michael Schumacher in the red car was my greatest idol," Vettel said in 2014.
Image: Getty Images
Fall from the top
Vettel followed up his four-straight titles with an underwhelming 2014 season. He became the first defending champion in 1998 to not win a race as he struggled with the RB10 car. Rumors of a pre-arranged agreement with Ferrari began to swirl, and Red Bull team principal Christian Horner announced in October 2014 that he would join Italian outfit — a move Ferrari didn't confirm until a month later.
Image: BORIS HORVAT/AFP/Getty Images
Start with Ferarri
Vettel officially joined Ferrari in November 2014, taking the spot of Fernando Alonso, a two-time F1 champion. He said being part of the Italian outfit meant "a dream of a lifetime has come true." Paired with 2007 champion Kimi Raikkonen, Vettel helped Ferrari rebound from a disappointing fourth-placed finish in 2014 with a runner-up performance in the 2015 constructors' championship.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/D. Azubel
Chasing Mercedes
Though he has continued to win races, Vettel has been stuck behind Mercedes during his Ferrari career. The Silver Arrows have strung together a streak of five straight constructors' championships, with Nico Rosberg (left) and Lewis Hamilton (center) winning drivers' titles during that span. Vettel's best chance to add a fifth world title came in 2018, but he flamed out after a fast start.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/V. Xhemaj
Eclipsed by Leclerc
In an unusual move, Ferrari added up-and-coming 21-year-old Charles Leclerc in 2019, committing to the Monegasque driver until 2024. But the Italian outfit insisted Vettel was still their lead driver. The roles appeared to switch throughout the 2019 season, with Leclerc finishing ahead of Vettel in the drivers' standings.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/T. Hanai
Vettel leaving Ferrari
Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari announced before the start of the season that they would go separate ways once the 32-year-old's contract expires at the end of 2020. This season, delayed for months due to the coronavirus pandemic, will be Vettel's sixth with the Italian outfit, ending a turbulent time that looks set to fail to produce a driver's championship.
