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Sebastian Vettel looks back on 2019 and ahead to the future

16.12.2019

Looking back on the 2019 season decades from now and Formula 1 fans of that time will read that the big loser of the year was Sebastian Vettel.

A raft of glaring mistakes that had root in the inexplicable crash while leading the 2018 German Grand Prix. Two races later he won in Belgium before going on a 23 race win-less streak which ended with victory in Singapore this year.

But facts are that a championship which was his to lose he lost, and adding insult to injury was the fact that 22-year-old Charles Leclerc arrived in the team and ousted the German from his number one perch within at Maranello. That battle is by no means finished, only on pause, for now, in-between seasons.

As his form spiralled downwards and his teammate started to show him up and beating him in the championship, many speculated that the 32-year-old would throw in the towel on his F1 career.  

However, in an in-depth interview with Blick, Vettel came out of his shell and, most importantly for his supporters, told correspondent Roger Benoit that he is very committed to staying in the sport thus putting an end to speculation of his demise.

When asked to rate his 2019 season out of ten, Vettel did not spare himself, "I was not good enough for an 8, 9 or 10 and  5 would be too harsh, so say a 6 or 7.”

“My season wasn’t perfect. Small things make the difference and n the end, the points that should have been scored were not. Of course, I’m not satisfied, clearly I have to improve.

"Life against Charles will certainly not get any easier in 2020. The new generation is already fully here with Charles, Max, Esteban, Lando, Alex, George, Pierre and their names.”

Regarding the ten-year gap between himself and the 'Young Guns' on the grid, Vettel explained, "I don't think age is as important and important to us as in some other sports. But ultimately it is the same in every sport: if you are good enough, you are still young enough. Conversely, if you are good enough, you are not too young."

As for the retirement rumours, the four-time F1 World Champion confirmed, "I have no plans to step down anytime soon, I really enjoy racing but I think it is normal that at a point in my career, after twelve years, you try to fast-forward and think about what can come afterwards.

"I think it's important to start thinking early. I don't think it's a good thing to stop with something that was so life-defining and then have no plan for what to do next.

"Ideally one would decide for oneself and say to yourself: I'll stop. This also means that you feel comfortable with the decision and can say: Now it was enough.

"Obviously the time is never perfect when it is dictated from the outside. For me, it is clear that if I stop once, then I stop and never come back. You just have to be happy and be able to say: that's it," concluded Vettel. (Report by Roy Franco; Photo by Ferrari)

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