Sebastian Vettel: I will remain the same in a new life

Sebastian Vettel ended his Formula 1 career after 299 Grand Prix, of which he started 57 from pole and climbed to the top step of the podium 53 times. The last, 122nd time, he finished in the top three in Baku last year, when he already drove for the Aston Martin team. In an interview with the Swiss tabloid Blick, the four-time world champion shared his memories of his long journey in motorsport.

Q: Who will retire after 299 races? Okay, Jackie Stewart retired from Formula 1 after 99 races, Alain Prost – also a four-time world champion, like you, by the way – after 199. How did motorsport start for you?
Sebastian Vettel: It’s simple: my dad was a mountain climber, so the whole family was, to some extent, infected with the love of racing. When I was three and a half years old I was given a used go-kart as a Christmas present, which I always carried around the yard with me. And in 1995, when I was seven, I went to the start of the race with my peers for the first time.

Q: Who do you consider to be the toughest opponent? And how many racers could you trust during track duels?
Sebastian Vettel: Let’s think… Of course it’s Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. As for the second question, you always trust your opponents on a subconscious level. For the most part, I could rely on them. Otherwise it led to accidents.

Q: How much has safety improved in Formula 1 since your debut in 2007 with BMW Sauber?
Sebastian Vettel: I think Formula 1 has learned a lot since then – of course this was also influenced by the tragic story of Jules Bianchi, which happened in 2014. I don’t think our sport has lost any of its appeal. With the introduction of the Halo system in 2018, another important layer of security was added. Overall, I am pleased with the way this area is developing.

Q: What do you consider to be the highlights of your career, apart from four national titles?
Sebastian Vettel: First victory at Monza in a Toro Rosso car in 2008. Then there were successes in Red Bull Racing, and six years later – with Ferrari. The best memories are associated with all of this and I still have all 53 victory cups!

Q: Who do you consider to be the best partner and which of your cars was your favorite?

Sebastian Vettel: This is the RB6, the 2010 car that won my first title. That championship overall was extremely interesting. I also felt comfortable driving a Ferrari SF70H, a 2017 car. Among the partners, I may have learned the most from Mark Webber. But with him I often found it difficult. And speaking of Kimi Raikkonen, he was the most talented of my teammates at Ferrari.

Q: Have you ever been scared?
Sebastian Vettel: It’s not that scary in a literal sense, but the sense of danger should never be lost. I don’t want to leave the job. Simply put, the less you trust the machine, the less you are willing to take risks. It can be shown that you are not trying to push the boundaries of the possible.

Q: Are you a player? Are you in a casino? Do you participate in lotteries? Do you have a lucky number?
Sebastian Vettel: The casino won’t make much money off me. Although sometimes I can look there and play roulette. If you’re lucky, go pick up the winnings right away. lucky number? I don’t even know if I have one. I played #5 for a long time, but I also like #17.

Q: Do you like risk?
Sebastian Vettel: No, by nature I am not so inclined to take risks and never step into an adventure without thinking first. Incidentally, I don’t know any crazy person in Formula 1 who would be a real risk taker.

Question: What question do you often ask yourself?
Sebastian Vettel: I don’t know. Is that before I take a seat in the cockpit, I ask myself: are you ready? I mean preparedness in the broadest sense of the word. Do I have the right attitude, am I physically ready… I think all riders ask similar questions before the start.

Question: When did you decide to become a conservationist?
Sebastian Vettel: I have always loved nature, felt awe and admiration for it. I have always loved being in nature, it gives me great pleasure. So I never changed my beliefs. The bitter truth in the reports on the state of the environment cannot be ignored.

If humanity finally destroys nature, it will have no future. Therefore, sooner or later everyone becomes an environmentalist, there is simply no other way out.

Q: Are you ready for the quieter life ahead?
Sebastian Vettel: Absolutely, I will remain the same in this new life. Let’s see what the future has in store for me. Let’s start with the fact that I am already anticipating everything ahead.

Question: When was the last time you went to the hairdresser?
Sebastian Vettel: A long time ago, probably at the beginning of the year. Is it not visible? (laughs)

Q: Were there dark periods in your career?
Sebastian Vettel: There weren’t many dark days. Maybe it was the days of the Brazilian race weekend in 2009 when I lost the title fight to Jenson Button. My victory in the final Abu Dhabi Grand Prix did not detract. And in 2014, when the technical regulations changed, it was like the ground was knocked out from under my feet, because I didn’t like Formula 1 cars anymore.

Question: Do you already have plans for the future?
Sebastian Vettel: After 299 races I have reached a new braking point. I am 35 years old and if all goes well I still have 40 years ahead of me, I don’t know what awaits me tomorrow. Maybe I’m getting bored faster than I expect. There are no specific plans.

Q: How often do you collide with cars? Have you had any injuries?
Sebastian Vettel: I broke my finger once – I think it was in 2006 when I was in the Renault World Series. I have not had any serious accidents, although I crashed cars, it happened, but nothing special happened to me.

Q: Have you ever smoked? Although, of course, we have heard so many times how you blow off steam during the races, communicating with the engineer on the radio. Did it happen that you threw a helmet into your heart?
Sebastian Vettel: No, I’ve never smoked. Well, when I was 14 I tried, but then a strong cough set in and the condition was nasty. On this topic was closed. But when I was in the cockpit, it often happened that the brain started to smoke! That’s why I was able to say some harsh words on the radio. I’ve never thrown a helmet before, I treat my helmets with a lot of respect. But it happened that he threw gloves or other things that came to hand.

Question: Have you ever doubted yourself and your abilities?
Sebastian Vettel: They did, and quite often. In fact, all those 15 years! I think this topic is not discussed often, if at all. Every driver doubts before every Grand Prix, but only until he is on the grid. I think everyone has doubts, no matter how good someone is at hiding them.

Q: Why, when you played for Ferrari, did you fail to reach the target and win another title?
Sebastian Vettel: We’ve never had a car with which we could fight for wins until the end of the season. We probably weren’t strong enough to really compete with Lewis and Mercedes. Take it as you please. Of course, there were many other reasons, but the bottom line is that we simply could not achieve the main goal.

Q: What is your favorite dish?
Sebastian Vettel: Spaghetti carbonara. Or just a pasta dish.

Q: Are you leaving Formula 1 with a light heart? What emotions do you experience – maybe even tears?
Sebastian Vettel: They don’t interfere. I feel there are many different experiences associated with my resignation. But I decided on my own that it was time to finish and see the checkered flag. And now I look forward to the next round which will go by at a more relaxed pace.

Question: Have you always been in a good mood and eager to drive behind the wheel of a car?
Sebastian Vettel: I would say almost always! Of course, after a sleepless night or after a tiring day of testing, there was sometimes no point in getting into the cockpit at 8:30 am the next morning. And it also happened that during the Grand Prix after ten laps I wanted the race to end now.

Q: Speaking for Red Bull, you had 38 wins, but more than once the crowd booed you. Was it embarrassing?
Sebastian Vettel: Of course it’s embarrassing. I think this reaction was due to the fact that we were a very strong team and everyone was tired of our victories. The same is happening now. Two years ago the fans rejoiced over Verstappen’s victories, and now they are starting to get a little tired of it because he wins too often. In addition, they were also happy that Hamilton stopped winning all races in a row. And now, when he starts winning again, they will only be happy.

Question: Which activity are you definitely not going to miss?
Sebastian Vettel: I don’t like to pack my bags. But even more I don’t like unpacking them.

Q: What advice for the future would you give Mick Schumacher who was out of work?
Sebastian Vettel: He needs some time to realize what has happened. I wish him more courage and hope that he will have a new business. I expect Mick to have a real chance to return to Formula 1 soon. I believe in his potential. He is capable of better results than he has shown in the past two years. Haas’ car was not fast and the team made a lot of mistakes.

In addition, a high-profile surname is of course not always an advantage.

Question: Do you have any wishes for Christmas?
Sebastian Vettel: There have been so many things in my life that there are no desires left. But I can wish that we all learn to perceive life in its entirety, to become more open and tolerant. Society is becoming more and more fair, continues to develop and does not stand still. There is so much we can still learn and improve so much!