Four-time F1 world champion Vettel has six races left for Ferrari before leaving the team after deciding not to extend his contract beyond the end of the year. Vettel will move to Racing Point for the 2021 season when the team changes name to Aston Martin.
Vettel is in 13th place in the Drivers’ Championship after struggling to keep up with Charles Leclerc’s form throughout the season, scoring less than a third of his teammate’s points (63-17).
Vettel praised Leclerc for “doing a very good job” and that he “seems to regularly squeeze the maximum out of the car”, and praised his increasing fights until 2020.
“I think it’s a completely different year, completely different circumstances,” said Vettel.
“”[I’m] probably not having the smoothest year [with] what I can do and not the easiest situation. But I’m ready to give anything to improve and get back to where I know I can be towards the end of the year. “
When asked to expand his comments, Vettel hinted that his departure from Ferrari had been confirmed before the start of the season in July, which made life more difficult.
“Obviously, this year’s car is not easy for both of us to drive,” said Vettel.
“I also sit in all the meetings Charles attends and we share our views. Sure, it’s not always easy.
“But I think it’s pretty clear that when you know you’re going to break up, you’ll go into the season. It’s going to be a different kind of love story.
“Even so, I respect all the work that has been done on my side and over the past few years, and so I am ready to give my maximum back.
“It wasn’t the easiest year we’ve been in. The races here and there didn’t really go to our liking either.
“Sometimes it is like that and I have to assert myself and pull myself through and look forward to the new tracks that we have on the one hand and the races that are coming up to try to put things together a little more.”
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Vettel came to Ferrari in 2015 in the hope of being able to emulate his hero Michael Schumacher, who won five world championship titles for Scuderia in the early 2000s.
Vettel said it was an “enormous privilege” to drive for Ferrari and while looking forward to his next move with Aston Martin, he wanted to end his time at Maranello with dignity.
“Like all things, things come to an end, so I’m really looking forward to a new chapter that starts next year,” said Vettel.
“But before that begins, as I said, I’m going to try to close the chapter here with dignity and to reunite so that I can deliver the kind of performances that I know I can to overcome these obstacles ready for the new chapter.
“I don’t think I’m the type that ends up gushing and everything gets super emotional. I think I’m realistic about knowing things are going to end.
“As I said, the situation in the team is different now than it was a year or two ago, where we are, where we are going.”
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