Sebastian Vettel is not succeeding, the atmosphere in his team is at freezing. Ferrari is slow and Vettel no longer trusts. As if he was no longer interested in Maranello, it might seem like cold answers to the radio.
Italian journalists began speculating a few days ago that Vettel would not even finish the season in Ferrari. The head of the stable, Mattia Binotto, vehemently rejected something like this and even claims that there is no tension between the German racer and the rest of the team. However, the events at the Spanish Grand Prix did not confirm his words.
Sebastian Vettel circled outside the top ten after the start, he could not overtake anyone, on the contrary he defended himself against the oncoming drivers of the format Daniil Kvjat or Daniel Ricciard and even after the pit stop it was not better – his position did not improve. When Charles Leclerc resigned a moment later due to an electronics fault, Ferrari could start packing. However, Sebastian Vettel was against.
“What if you tried to reach the finish line on those tires,” he heard fifteen laps before the finish line on the radio. “I told you myself a while ago!” Vettel replied, a little annoyed.
He held the fifth place. He got to him only because his opponents from the middle of the field were in the pits for the second time. As soon as he put on the new tires, he would fall to twelfth place. And as the previous course of the race had shown, he couldn’t even think of overtaking. He saw the finish line on the worn, twenty laps of old, soft tires as the only chance for points.
They didn’t decide for a long time, Vettel had the final word: “OK, we have nothing to lose, I’ll try,” he said on the radio.
The scenario was clear to everyone – Vettel would drive the tires almost to the rim, his car would not keep on the track and everyone would overtake him anyway. But it didn’t happen. Only two rivals were beyond his power – after a few laps, Lance Stroll ran past him in last year’s Mercedes painted pink, he was comfortably overtaken by Carlos Sainz and McLaren.
Sebastian Vettel
The former 33-year-old champion did not fight them, he obediently let them go in front of him. It didn’t make sense, he would ruin his tires unnecessarily. He focused only on himself and his car, guarding every track, the exact passage through every turn. He had to reach the finish line! He didn’t move an eyebrow as Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes drove past him and lost the entire lap. There was no time to notice irrelevant things. And he did it.
After Stroll and Sainz, he didn’t let anyone in front of him. He uncovered Alexander Albon’s attacks in the red bull. Twenty laps of newer tires didn’t help. “The last laps were very, very demanding. But it was my only chance, I had to manage it, “described Vettel, who was deservedly announced by the fans in the official vote of the driver of the day.
In total it was 37 rounds. And points for seventh place. On tires that should not last more than twenty in Barcelona. Once again, after a very long time, Sebastian Vettel showed why he became world champion four times.
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