Vettel: "I don't wake up in the morning and think 'I'm the best!'"
F1 News
- Nicolás Quarles van Ufford
Despite being one of the most decorated drivers in Formula 1 history, Ferrari star Sebastian Vettel still thinks he has a point to prove to himself in the present day, as the German explains his past successes don't make him any less eager for another championship.
Vettel, of course, won four championships on the bounce between 2010 and 2013, with the now-32-year-old becoming the youngest F1 champion ever when he won his first.
In 2015, Vettel jumped ship to his current team Ferrari, where he was brought in to once again deliver a championship to Maranello, following in the footsteps of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. Although he's come close in previous years, the four-time champion has yet to deliver on this promise.
"That's why I'm here, I want to prove it to myself," Vettel told Motorsport-Magazin.com.
"That's the most valuable thing for me. You can never prove yourself to everyone. That's impossible but also not relevant for me."
The German finished runner-up in both 2017 and 2018 to Lewis Hamilton and gave the Brit a very good run for his money in both years, but ultimately fell short in both instances.
Although Vettel has already proven he's one of the best drivers in F1 history, he still thinks he hasn't proven himself in the sport.
"I don't think: 'I've won it before, I don't have to do it again'," he continued.
"I don't think my past successes will bring me success in the future. At the same time, I'm very privileged to have been in that situation more than once to be able to prove to myself I can beat the best and that I'm one of the best.
"I don't wake up in the morning and think: 'I'm the best!'. I know you can read about that in books that tell you how to think. It doesn't work like that for me."