Sebastian Vettel reveals contact with Ferrari started in 2008

[wickedf1]

Sebastian Vettel reveals contact with Ferrari started in 2008
By Lawrence Barretto Thursday, March 5th 2015, 17:38 GMT

Vettel, Ferrari, testing

Sebastian Vettel says he first contacted Ferrari about a potential move to the team back in 2008 and has since had "secret" meetings in Maranello while racing for Red Bull.

Vettel was contesting his first full season in Formula 1, going on to claim his maiden win with victory in the Italian Grand Prix for the Ferrari-powered Toro Rosso team.

The German went on to win four world titles with Red Bull from 2010-2013 before agreeing late last year to join Ferrari for 2015.

"When I arrived at Toro Rosso, I started greeting [Ferrari team principal] Stefano Domenicali and the Ferrari technicians who took care of my engine," Vettel told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"With Domenicali, starting from 2008 when I was at Red Bull, I discussed once and again about a potential future for me at Ferrari.

"In 2010 there was another approach, but again with nothing put to paper.

"In the winter between 2012 and 2013 I even secretly went to Maranello to meet Montezemolo and talk about this subject."

Vettel said talks continued throughout last season, amid the changing managerial structure, and added that he also asked for advice from Michael Schumacher's manager Sabine Kehm.

"When Domenicali had left and contacts kept going on, I met with Marco Mattiacci and spoke with [Ferrari president Luca di] Montezemolo again," he added.

"But at one point Montezemolo and Mattiacci left the scene too.

"Talks went on anyway and I asked Schumacher's manager Sabine Kehm for her opinion. Unfortunately I couldn't speak with Michael..."

When asked if he had asked Schumacher for advice in the past, Vettel said: "Oh yes. Some time ago I told him about the chance I was offered by Stefano Domenicali.

"I told him I felt honoured and he commented that, had I accepted, I would have found a good atmosphere and great enthusiasm at Maranello.

"It was a dream for me. Now I'm happy I'm inside that dream."

He loves Ferrari and now his fans love Ferrari too. :thumb

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/117921

[Fireblade]

"Contact" covers a lot of ground. F1 is a small world and I daresay there is a good deal of contact between everyone on an ongoing basis. Seb seems like a very friendly, outgoing guy and I'm sure he's on speaking terms with the majority of people in the paddock.

Still, glad to see that he seems genuinely a Ferrari fan!

[Giallo 550]

As nice as that story sounds, it doesn't really add up. He was the golden boy at Red Bull during '10, '11, '12, and '13 when his car was basically a full second faster than everybody else's during qualifying. I highly doubt anybody (other than Mark Webber) would seriously entertain the idea of leaving that team during a period of complete and utter dominance, even if the door was open at Ferrari. Sebastian's move correlates with Red Bull's lack of performance, and with the coming of the new guard at Ferrari. That said, I wish him much success with Ferrari.

[wickedf1]

He did not say that he tried to come to Ferrari in 2010-2014. He said he had contact with Ferrari since 2008 about one day coming to Ferrari. Like now maybe Bottas or Riccardo or Hulkenberg has contact with Ferrari in 2013 and 2014. That does not mean they are coming today till maybe many years in the future after they make champion. And Kimi was talking to Ferrari in 2005 he has told us already so this is normal. But the drivers never tell it until after joining up. Sebastian was not leaving for sure until he stopped winning championships in redbull.

[abbottcostello]

As nice as that story sounds, it doesn't really add up. He was the golden boy at Red Bull during '10, '11, '12, and '13 when his car was basically a full second faster than everybody else's during qualifying. I highly doubt anybody (other than Mark Webber) would seriously entertain the idea of leaving that team during a period of complete and utter dominance, even if the door was open at Ferrari. Sebastian's move correlates with Red Bull's lack of performance, and with the coming of the new guard at Ferrari. That said, I wish him much success with Ferrari.
+1, talking is one thing, doing it quite another matter!

[Hush]

As nice as that story sounds, it doesn't really add up. He was the golden boy at Red Bull during '10, '11, '12, and '13 when his car was basically a full second faster than everybody else's during qualifying. I highly doubt anybody (other than Mark Webber) would seriously entertain the idea of leaving that team during a period of complete and utter dominance, even if the door was open at Ferrari. Sebastian's move correlates with Red Bull's lack of performance, and with the coming of the new guard at Ferrari. That said, I wish him much success with Ferrari.

It sounds very plausible and if Massa is to be believed Alonso wanted out at Ferrari while he was still there. Ferrari were just feeling the waters as far as Vettel was concerned.

[Fireblade]

As nice as that story sounds, it doesn't really add up. He was the golden boy at Red Bull during '10, '11, '12, and '13 when his car was basically a full second faster than everybody else's during qualifying. I highly doubt anybody (other than Mark Webber) would seriously entertain the idea of leaving that team during a period of complete and utter dominance, even if the door was open at Ferrari. Sebastian's move correlates with Red Bull's lack of performance, and with the coming of the new guard at Ferrari. That said, I wish him much success with Ferrari.

At no point in 2010-13 was his car "a full second faster than everybody else's during qualifying". I'm not sure why some people feel the need to wildly exaggerate the abilities of his car in his title winning years. Even at the end of 2013, when the other teams had given up on the season to focus on next year and RB's edge was at its greatest, it was not a second faster than the rest in qualifying.

[Homan13PSU]

+1, talking is one thing, doing it quite another matter!

Bingo. Weren't Ferrari in conversation with Senna as early as 1988 about him eventually coming to Maranello?

[Giallo 550]

At no point in 2010-13 was his car "a full second faster than everybody else's during qualifying". I'm not sure why some people feel the need to wildly exaggerate the abilities of his car in his title winning years. Even at the end of 2013, when the other teams had given up on the season to focus on next year and RB's edge was at its greatest, it was not a second faster than the rest in qualifying.

You desperately need to go back and watch the old qualifying tapes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Malaysian_Grand_Prix

His car was .913 seconds faster than the following car. I was not "wildly" exaggerating anything.

[Sriharsha]

You desperately need to go back and watch the old qualifying tapes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Malaysian_Grand_Prix

His car was .913 seconds faster than the following car. I was not "wildly" exaggerating anything.
Sorry thats false.Thats a wet qualifying session and you can count Vettel in wet ala Suzuka 2014, Brazil 2012. He was monster in the wet and the very next race in China Mercedes got pole.

[cokata]

Towards the 2nd half of last season he was much closer to Riccardo. I recall his stunning overtakes in Spain last year at the breaking point for La Caixa. And yes he is really good in the rain. Also one thing to note is thing to note is how calm and mature he was every time he was in a battle for a championship. I don't remember a single time where he made an error because of pressure. In Brasil 2012 he got hit from behind, and was stone last. He didn't panic and calmly got the car where it needed to be for him to win.

[ManFromMilan]

His car was .913 seconds faster than the following car. I was not "wildly" exaggerating anything.



Thought about that .9 seconds as well.

Lets hope he can repeat that .9 seconds this year.

[Giallo 550]

Sorry thats false.Thats a wet qualifying session and you can count Vettel in wet ala Suzuka 2014, Brazil 2012. He was monster in the wet and the very next race in China Mercedes got pole.

Okay. Here's China 2011. More than seven tenths.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Chinese_Grand_Prix

You saying I'm wildly exaggerating is more of an exaggeration than three tenths of a second.

[Sriharsha]

Okay. Here's China 2011. More than seven tenths.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Chinese_Grand_Prix

You saying I'm wildly exaggerating is more of an exaggeration than three tenths of a second.
You still are confusing between Driver and Car. When only one car is getting maximum and other wasn't it due to driver doing his best.
If you want to show RBR is faster you go to Spanish Gp 2011 where the Next Non Redbull car is 1sec or near slower than bulls which is similar to Mercedes 2014 in the very same track which is ahead of 3rd placed Car by over a second.
But thats not Entirely reliable as certain conditions help some cars and hinder others. The cars which get benefited mostly will be More aerodynamically good or helped by tires which makes setting up the car different ( Sigh Pirelli) The Most Recent will be Austin 2013 where Windy conditions pulled RBR's far ahead of rest and the same windy conditions helped Mercedes to get so fast. It depends on track nature also.
I still claim that No car or Driver will ever be 1 sec faster than rest continuously unless certain situations are there.

[Giallo 550]

You still are confusing between Driver and Car. When only one car is getting maximum and other wasn't it due to driver doing his best.
If you want to show RBR is faster you go to Spanish Gp 2011 where the Next Non Redbull car is 1sec or near slower than bulls which is similar to Mercedes 2014 in the very same track which is ahead of 3rd placed Car by over a second.
But thats not Entirely reliable as certain conditions help some cars and hinder others. The cars which get benefited mostly will be More aerodynamically good or helped by tires which makes setting up the car different ( Sigh Pirelli) The Most Recent will be Austin 2013 where Windy conditions pulled RBR's far ahead of rest and the same windy conditions helped Mercedes to get so fast. It depends on track nature also.
I still claim that No car or Driver will ever be 1 sec faster than rest continuously unless certain situations are there.

The only point I was making was that Sebastian had a car that was vastly superior to every other car on the grid, with the exception of perhaps Webber's, which was supposed to be identical. That's an irrefutable fact. You don't get 95% of a season's pole positions without one. I don't have a problem with him not coming to Ferrari during that time, because he would have been a fool to give up such performance. Unfortunately for Sebastian, he is in a place where his teammate is at the end of his career, much like Webber. If he loses to Kimi, he will look bad. If he beats Kimi, nobody will be wowed, unless it's by the margin Fernando beat him by last season.

[Sriharsha]

The only point I was making was that Sebastian had a car that was vastly superior to every other car on the grid, with the exception of perhaps Webber's, which was supposed to be identical. That's an irrefutable fact. You don't get 95% of a season's pole positions without one. I don't have a problem with him not coming to Ferrari during that time, because he would have been a fool to give up such performance. Unfortunately for Sebastian, he is in a place where his teammate is at the end of his career, much like Webber. If he loses to Kimi, he will look bad. If he beats Kimi, nobody will be wowed, unless it's by the margin Fernando beat him by last season.
Apart from that word i will agree with you, as i think Vastly superior means W05 in my view.
Any way Hoping for him to get better with us. I too don't care when he has contract all i care is how he performs on the track on sat and sun and deliver the goods we are waiting for.

[Giallo 550]

Apart from that word i will agree with you, as i think Vastly superior means W05 in my view.
Any way Hoping for him to get better with us. I too don't care when he has contract all i care is how he performs on the track on sat and sun and deliver the goods we are waiting for.

Yeah, that Mercedes was on another planet.

[abbottcostello]

You can parse words all you want, when I think back to RBR's winning era, all I remember thinking after quali is "dang, another pole for RB, hope Fernando can pull a massive start so Vettel doesn't just walk away from the pack again as usual!" Then after race start... "ugh, good time to refill my coffee" as Vettel proceeds to steadily open a gap to everyone else.
Now I call him Seb (:lol) & am hoping he can duplicate this scenario, but fear it may take a little bit of time & a vastly superior Ferrari!

[Fireblade]

You desperately need to go back and watch the old qualifying tapes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Malaysian_Grand_Prix

His car was .913 seconds faster than the following car. I was not "wildly" exaggerating anything.

If that's the best you got then you shot yourself in the foot. Being nine-tenths faster, once, in one rain hit qualifying session, does not support your claim claim that " .. during '10, '11, '12, and '13 ... his car was basically a full second faster than everybody else's during qualifying." If your claim were remotely true then the Bulls should have locked out the front row at every GP for four years.

[ManFromMilan]

unless it's by the margin Fernando beat him by last season.



That is kinda true.

But lets hope that whoever is beaten by who, Ferrari wins.