Sebastian Vettel insists he has no regrets ahead of his Ferrari departure, but openly admits he failed to achieve what he set out to do with the team and believes he could have managed certain situations better.
The four-time Formula 1 World Champion will switch to Aston Martin Racing next year after he was dumped by Ferrari prior to the first race of the 2020 season.
Whilst Vettel has failed to deliver a title for Ferrari – whether he has been given the machinery to do so or not – he has taken 14 race wins, which ranks him as Ferrari’s third most successful driver.
The 33-year-old insists he has no regrets leaving the Italian outfit, but says he could have done better and alluded to “fights” he shouldn’t have been involved in, not necessarily those on track!
“I don’t think I will go on having any regrets looking back. It is true that I have failed because I set myself the mission of the target to win the world championship with Ferrari, I have failed; I didn’t manage to do that,” he told the Beyond the Grid podcast.
“There are things that I should have done better, things that maybe I should have seen earlier, fights that maybe I shouldn’t have picked. But then again, I think everything that happened brought me to where I am now, you see what I mean?
“I’m generally not talking about stuff that happens on the track now, losing the car in Hockenheim in sort of half-wet, half-dry conditions. Many people point that one out as a low point, but not talking about things like that.
“I think that looking back they [the fights] weren’t worth fighting. You see what I mean? But again part of it was probably in my nature and it was natural to do so, and I think I had a point as well in some of these little fights and battles, whatever, but yeah I think ultimately that’s how you mature and how you learn.”
Vettel insists he is happy to move on and face a new challenge with Aston Martin.
“If I’m fair and harsh, then I have failed. Were there reasons? Probably yes but I don’t accept them as excuses. Whatever happened also I guess put me on the next step forward and the next level to focus on the next thing.
“Again I think the important bit is I don’t have the sense of regret. I’m happy to move on…”
