Vettel looks back on his years at Ferrari: "Yes, we failed"

Ferrari haven't won a drivers championship since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007. By attracting Sebastian Vettel at the time, the mission was clear: to win the championship for the Italians. Now, six years later, the German leaves for Racing Point without having accomplished his mission with Ferrari. 

This is what Sebastian Vettel says in a long interview with the German medium Blick. After Michael Schumacher and Niki Lauda, Vettel is the most successful Ferrari driver ever and that counts for something, of course. The most important thing, however, wasn't achieved. "Yes, we failed," says Vettel self-critically when he says that he did not win the championship.

Over the years at Ferrari, the German has also been criticised. Something that he himself nuanced a little, because one was too exaggerated, while the other was not. Vettel: "I think that criticism is part of everything. The guiding principle still applies: you are never as good as people say you are, but you are never as bad as people say you are."

"You have to find the right way yourself. Of course, sometimes the critics are right, but sometimes they are not. I am very open about it because I know my weaknesses and strengths best of all. I've certainly made some mistakes, but we don't all have to talk about them," he says.

Next year, Sebastian Vettel will be driving at Racing Point, where he will be in Sergio Perez's place, who will move to Red Bull Racing at the expense of Alexander Albon.