F1: Sebastian Vettel dreams of Ferrari world title win for ‘little Seb’

Vettel looks for role reversal

Charles Leclerc is currently the toast of Formula 1 after the Ferrari driver secured his maiden race victory at the Belgian Grand Prix last weekend.

While Leclerc and Ferrari were celebrating their first win of 2019, Sebastian Vettel had to play a supporting role to his younger team-mate before finishing fourth at Spa.

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Although he admits it was hard seeing Leclerc perform so well in Belgium Vettel hopes that the roles are reversed at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, Ferrari’s home race.

“It is very important that we all work together, especially for the development of the car,” said Vettel.

“Charles was stronger at Spa and I don’t like that obviously, but I hope the situation is reversed at Monza. He is very fast and there’s always something to learn.”

Racing in front of the Tifosi this weekend, Ferrari, Vettel and Leclerc will hope to be celebrating again on Sunday night at Monza.

Vettel said: “For a German, it is not possible to promise something [winning at Monza], but I am very happy here, I feel at home, it’s a family.

“Racing in the home of the Tifosi in Italy, around Monza, certainly means a lot to me. My first Formula 1 win came at this track in a Ferrari-powered car in 2008.

“This weekend, we are aiming to win again. I think we have got closer and closer in the past years, but we never quite made it.”

Stay at Ferrari? Why not…

Vettel is a four-time world champion from his Red Bull days, but the 32-year-old has failed to win a title since switching to Ferrari in 2015.

He has had to settle for a number of second-placed finishes as Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton dominated with four championship wins in the past five seasons.

With 21-year-old Leclerc battling Vettel for the No.1 driver spot at Ferrari there had been suggestions that the experienced German could retire from F1 in the near future.

However, when asked if he could extend his stay with Ferrari beyond the end of his contract in 2020, Vettel said: “Whether I am going to continue? Why not?”

Speaking at Ferrari’s 90th anniversary celebrations in Milan Vettel was also asked if he would be in F1 in five years’ time.

“I don’t know [being in F1 in five years],” he said. “I’m liking it now. But in the future I don’t know. Now I only think of Saturday and Sunday.”

Win title for ‘little Seb’

Vettel admits that racing for the red team was always a dream of his. As a child he was a fan of fellow German Michael Schumacher, who won five of his seven F1 titles with the Prancing Horse.

Vettel says winning the F1 world championship for Ferrari remains a huge ambition. He said: “I would just like to win for little Seb who as a child supported the [Michael] Schumacher-led Ferrari.

“As a child I used to follow Michael with the red car. Now that I am driving the red car, it is a dream coming true. It’s difficult to find words, a way to describe Ferrari. It’s a religion.”