Sebastian Vettel Reveals How Charles Leclerc Inadvertently Helped Him Finish “Unfinished Business”: “That Did Something to Me”

Aston Martin’s fan favorite, Sebastian Vettel, is all set to move on from the F1 world at the end of this season. However, in a recent interview, the German shed light on an unusual thought. He got candid about his F1 journey. And to many’s surprise, Vettel had retirement on his mind since 2019.

Sebastian Vettel has been in the news for his upcoming retirement. Amid all this, his fans are heartbroken to see him go. Most are still holding onto the hope for his comeback in the next few years. Will Sebastian walk into the footsteps of the legendary driver and friend, Michael Schumacher?

Sebastian looks back at his time driving for Ferrari, when his teammate, Kimi Raikkonen, was replaced by the young Charles Leclerc, who was only about 21 years old at that time.

Vettel, in the fear of fading away in the shadow of the new future of Ferrari, questioned everything going forward. He started underperforming and didn’t deliver his best. On the other hand, Leclerc delivering good performances made Vettel’s struggle more prominent.

Talking to Der Spiegel, Vettel shared, “[Leclerc was] unburdened by disappointments. Leclerc took the wheel and stepped on the gas. He was lugging less weight around. He drove the way I saw myself in my first Formula 1 years.”

With the way things were unraveling, Ferrari was losing its position to Mercedes and Red Bull and this didn’t settle well with the German. He said, “That did something to me that I didn’t directly understand in that way. Spending so much energy two years in a row, also mentally, and then coming up empty, that’s when doubts arose: Is this still going to work?”

With a dramatic drop in his performance in the year 2020, Vettel then moved on to Aston Martin, however, these questions still bothered him.

He said, “Somehow I still had some unanswered questions or unfinished business with myself, “Can I still do it? Am I good enough to drive at the front in Formula 1?”

Read More: Golden Boy Max Verstappen Labelled Less “Complete” in the Shadow of Red Bull F1 Predecessor Sebastian Vettel

The German also shared that not having the right car that helped him showcase his best has also played a big role in making his decision of moving on from the F1 life.

Sebastian Vettel may have a parting gift for the F1 fans after all!

What is the next chapter for Sebastian Vettel?

As Sebastian Vettel has decided his move away from the grid, he has new projects on the cards to look forward to.

Vettel used his social media to tease the audience about an upcoming documentary about his life. The video portrayed an insight into a series of events from the German’s childhood that led him to the tracks.

It is the perfect parting gift for the Vettel fans, however, most could not deal with this as it makes the farewell of the German far too real.

Vettel hasn’t been very vocal about the documentary yet. But he hasn’t denied any claims so far. On the contrary, true to his nature, the cheeky German continues to tease his fans about the possibility.

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Letting go of Vettel is going to be hard for many. However, with the last two races to go, fans are hoping to see Vettel on the podium one last time. But will he be able to do so?